


The Order of Merlin

by Queen_of_Camelot (The_Lady_in_the_Red_Cape)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Affection, Amortentia, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Asexual Leon, Asexuality, Beauxbatons, Best Friends, Bigotry & Prejudice, Bisexual Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Bisexual Gwaine (Merlin), Bisexuality, Blushing, Boggarts, Butterbeer (Harry Potter), Canon Crossover, Chaptered, Childhood Friends, Cockatrices, Contests, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Crying, Difficult Decisions, Discrimination, Discrimination against muggles and muggle-borns, Dragonlord Merlin (Merlin), Dragonlords (Merlin), Dragons, Duelling, Durmstrang, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Falling In Love, Family Secrets, Feelings Realization, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Flying, Forced Bonding, Foreshadowing, Friends circle, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gaius is the first ever headmaster of Hogwarts, Gay Merlin (Merlin), Gay Percival, Heart-to-Heart, Heartbreak, Heterosexuality, Hogsmeade, Hogsmeade Weekend Trips, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Hogwarts First Year, Hogwarts Founders Era, Hogwarts Fourth Year, Hogwarts Second Year, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Hogwarts Third Year, Hogwarts classes, Homosexuality, Honeydukes, Hurt/Comfort, Inspiration, Inspirational Speeches, Jealousy, LGBTQ Characters, LGBTQ Themes, Lindworm, Long, Love, Magic, Mandrakes, Meet-Cute, Mentor/Protégé, Mentors, Merlin characters are the Hogwarts staff, Muggle-born, Muggle-born Pride, Multi, Mutual Pining, Mutually Unrequited, Oblivious Arthur, Oblivious Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Original Character(s), Pain, Past, Past Character Death, Patronus Charm (Harry Potter), Pining, Plot Twists, Post-Hogwarts, Protests, Pureblood Politics (Harry Potter), Pureblood Society (Harry Potter), Quidditch, Rejection, Revolution, Romantic Fluff, School Dances, Secret Crush, Secrets, Sharing, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Spanish Translation, Spells & Enchantments, Straight Elyan, Straight Gwen, Straight Lancelot, Tears, The Sorting Hat is metaphorically Kilgharrah, Three Broomsticks, Time Turner (Harry Potter), Translation Available, Triwizard Tournament, Truth Serum, Veela (Harry Potter), Veritaserum, Wizarding Politics (Harry Potter), Wizarding Wars (Harry Potter), Wizarding World (Harry Potter), Wyverns, Yule Ball (Harry Potter), Zonko's Joke Shop (Harry Potter), followers, friends gang, growing close, secret organisations, supporting each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 39,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24733966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lady_in_the_Red_Cape/pseuds/Queen_of_Camelot
Summary: We all know the story of 'The Boy Who Lived'. Every child knows his name. Everyone loves the tale of how Harry Potter saved the Wizarding World from Voldemort.But do we know the story of 'The Greatest Sorcerer Ever To Walk The Earth'? Every time Ron cried,"Merlin's beard!",did we stop to wonder who exactly Merlin was, and what he had done to be recognized worldwide and have an order named after him?This is the story of a young boy, who thought that he was a nobody, growing into a man, who would be remembered for centuries.
Relationships: Balinor/Hunith (Merlin), Gwaine/Percival (Merlin), Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Ygraine de Bois/Uther Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 246
Kudos: 284
Collections: Abby's Merlin Recs, BBC Merlin Rare Fair, Canon Ball, Extraordinary Merlin FanFics, MERLIN, MERTHUR, Merlin, Merlin Fanfiction, Merlin Fics, Merlin Fics to Reread, Merlin Stories to Reread, Merthur, Merthur Fanfics, Merthur fics, merthur fics





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [La Orden de Merlín](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28584525) by [Nova_the_Wallflower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nova_the_Wallflower/pseuds/Nova_the_Wallflower)



> '@sisters for life' is my beta-reader!
> 
> [ **Please read:**  
>  40 chapters of this story have been posted as of January, 2021. For at least three more months, I won't be posting more, since I'm quite busy. (So I'm also turning off comments for now.) But I'll still continue writing in the meantime, so after a few months when I resume posting, I'll have finished writing the whole story (the remaining 60 or 70 chapters), so regular updates can be expected! Subscribe to be notified.]
> 
> **Author's Note:**
> 
> **[If you wish to translate this fic, or create content inspired by it, I hereby give you permission to do so, as long as you add a link to my fic at the beginning of your work and and give me credits in the notes as author of the original story. Also, please do not post your creation on any other website than AO3 (Archive Of Our Own). If you could please follow these guidelines, feel free to go ahead! :) ]**
> 
> _Thank you so much to all my lovely readers for supporting me, commenting, leaving kudos and showering this story with love! This fic is very close to my heart, and all your encouragement means a lot! Thank you so much! <333_

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Who is Merlin?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Before you start reading, I want to share this really adorable image I found on Pinterest (click [here](https://images.app.goo.gl/ay88Phq6ANhPtaUy7)!), of Colin and Bradley's childhood photos. This is exactly how I pictured Merlin and Arthur in their first few years at Hogwarts, looking all young and innocent and too pure for the world! UwU  
> That being said, I hope you enjoy this fic!!<333]
> 
> The information in this chapter is NOT fan-made. It is from the Harry Potter cannon-verse. It has been collected and compiled from a reliable site (Harry Potter Wiki). This has been done, since I'm trying to include as much canon as possible, both from the Harry Potter series and the Merlin series. Thus this fic will have many details and sub-plots!
> 
> This short prologue is quite crucial, since it plays an important role in understanding many elements of this story. So please make sure that you read it! :D

_Merlin, as depicted in Chocolate Frog Cards_

**Who is Merlin?**

  
Merlin was a legendary British wizard who lived during the Middle Ages. He is arguably the most powerful wizard of all time.

He was born sometime during the medieval era. During his formative years, he attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and was sorted into Slytherin House. It is possible that he was taught by Salazar Slytherin himself, given the time period Merlin lived in. It is said that Merlin's wand was of English oak. 

At some point in his lifetime, Merlin became a part of the Court of King Arthur, assisting him during his reign. He was the enemy of Arthur's half-sister, Morgana, a dark witch. 

**What do we know about Merlin’s recognition and renown?**

Merlin is a name known by every person belonging to the Wizarding World. His power and contribution to magic is acknowledged and respected by all. 

His renown led his name to become a part of everyday wizarding vernacular. The popular exclamation, _"Merlin's beard!"_ , and the more unusual _"Merlin's pants!"_ are examples of such.

Slytherin students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry took special pride in Merlin — 'the most famous wizard in history' — having been Sorted into their house. However, this fact is one that the other houses do not like to recognise.

**What exactly is the order of Merlin?**

The Order of Merlin (O.M. in short) was founded by Merlin in the Middle Ages as an organisation with the goal of promoting laws to protect and benefit muggles and muggle-borns. It is unknown when the Order changed from an organisation to an award, or when its focus shifted from advocating muggle rights to honouring great wizarding accomplishments in general.  


**What are the three classes of the O.M.?**

There are three classes in which the awards are conferred: 

1\. _The Order of Merlin, First Class_ : A few recipients being Albus Dumbledore (in 1945), Sirius Black's grandfather (in the 1900s), Cornelius Fudge (between 1990 and 1995)

2\. _The Order of Merlin, Second Class_ : One of the recipients being Newt Scamander (in 1979).

3\. _The Order of Merlin, Third Class_ : Gilderoy Lockhart received this award for his encounter with many dark creatures and instructing people on how to repel them. In 1993, it was revealed that he had only taken credit for these deeds and had not really done any of them. This might have led to his Order's retraction.

* * *

These details merely _brush_ the surface of the ocean that is Merlin’s life. Where was Merlin born and brought up before he comes to Hogwarts? How does he meet Arthur? Who are Merlin’s friends? What does his boggart look like? Which form does his patronus take? What does Amortentia smell like to him? What inspires Merlin — a pure blood — to struggle for the rights of muggles?   


_Read on, to join Merlin on his journey to power and fame, facing love, prejudice and enemies on the way._


	2. The Hogwarts Express

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 11-year old Merlin embarks on a journey to his new school. He may not know it yet, but he has just placed the first step into the beginning of a new era.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Note: This story takes place in the middle ages, when the 4 founders had just founded Hogwarts. This was many, _many_ years before the 'Harry Potter' time period.]

The Hogwarts Express was departing.

Merlin’s face was pressed against the window as he waved to his mother, Hunith. Soon King’s Cross was far behind, and flashes of stunning scenery rushed past outside, taking him and the other first-years to their new school.

Merlin sighed and got comfortable in his seat. The coach was empty. The raven-haired boy pulled out a small cage from his suitcase in which his pet stoat was sleeping. He opened the cage and gently took the animal out. Cradling her in the crook of his arm, he began rocking her soothingly when she shuffled in her sleep. Merlin leant back and admired the view of the passing fields and lakes.

He heard the compartment door slide open, and turned. A boy his age smiled at him brightly. “Hi, is this compartment free?”, he asked, gesturing to the opposite seat. 

“Yes, it is.”, Merlin replied, smiling.

"Great. . .”, the boy muttered, pulling in his trunk and sitting across from Merlin.

“I’m Lancelot, by the way. Lancelot du Lac.”, the boy said.

“Merlin Emrys.”

“Nice to meet you, Merlin. And who might your little friend be?”, Lancelot asked, looking at the sleeping stoat.

“Her name is Aithusa.”, Merlin said, grinning and stroking the animal.

"She’s adorable.”, Lancelot said, smiling warmly.

* * *

Not long after Lancelot joined him, a girl with brown, curly hair and chocolate-skin peeked into their compartment. “ _Oh_.”, she said, noticing that both occupants were boys. She hesitated for a brief moment, probably wondering if she would be welcome. Then, tentatively, she asked, “Do you boys have room for one more?”

“Of course!”, Lancelot said before Merlin could even open his mouth.

The girl pulled in her luggage, and sat down next to Merlin. “I’m Guinevere. You can call me Gwen.”, she said cheerfully.

“Nice to meet you, Gwen. I’m Lancelot. You can call me Lance.”

“I’m Merlin.”, Merlin said, smiling.

“Nice to meet you both.”, Gwen beamed.

The next half hour passed with the trio talking about themselves, their interests and their hometown. Merlin loved talking about Ealdor. He never grew tired of describing its kind people and beautiful places.

Merlin really began liking Gwen and Lance. And he also noticed that Lance seemed to be liking Gwen a little _too_ much. He grinned at how the boy blushed when he spoke to her.

Suddenly, the compartment door was pulled open with an unpleasantly loud ‘ _whoosh_ '. The three kids whipped around.

A blond boy with blue eyes stood at the entrance, holding a toad. “Oops. Wrong compartment.” He was about to leave, when he noticed Aithusa.

“Who the hell chooses a stoat for a pet?”, he asked in a condescending tone.  


Merlin scowled. “Who the hell chooses a toad?”, he retorted.

“Ugh, _literally everyone_? Have you even seen the other students? There are more toads on this train than owls.” He stroked his toad lovingly. “Although, I’m pretty sure Mordred here, is the best pet of them all.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little meta for a toad to own another toad?”, Merlin asked, smirking.

The blond gasped. “ _Did you just call me a toad?”,_ he growled.

“Precisely.”

“Well, you look like a startled stoat yourself!”, the boy said, his voice high.  


Merlin quickly closed Aithusa's ears, as if she might hear the prat and get upset. “ _Screw you!”_

"You can’t address me like that!”, Arthur spat.

“Okay, sorry. Screw you,", Merlin said and gave a little mock-bow, " _my lord.”_

The blond looked livid. “What’s your name, boy?”

"Merlin.”

"Well, you better watch your back, _Merlin.",_ the blond said menacingly. " _I'm going to make you regret ever being born.”,_ he slammed he door shut.

“ _That_ went well.”, Gwen muttered. “Who was that?”

“ _That_ , my friends,”, Lance said, “was Arthur Pendragon.”  


Merlin gasped. " _Arthur Pendragon??_ As in son of Uther Pendragon, the King of Camelot?"

"Yup.", Lancelot replied.

Merlin knew that the Prince was going to be on the train, but he didn’t dare _dream_ that he would happen to meet him. _And_ insult him. _And_ possibly have sown the seeds of a potential vendetta.

"Oh, boy. . .", Merlin muttered, " _I'm in some serious trouble, aren't I?"_


	3. The Sorting Hat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin gets sorted into one of the four houses. But what the Sorting Hat tells him leaves him confused and wanting answers.

The Sorting was about to begin.

The Great Hall was buzzing with noise, life and anticipation. Merlin stood in the crowd of nervous first-years, shifting his weight from one foot to another. The next few moments were going to decide how he would spend the next _seven years_.

“Oh, my God! _Look!_ ”, Gwen whispered to him and Lancelot, gesturing towards the staff table. Merlin followed her gaze and saw two men and two women sitting at the center, their attire ostentatiously grand and their expressions grave.

“The four founders of Hogwarts!”, Gwen whispered excitedly. “They will be our house heads! Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin.”

Merlin looked at them, and wondered how ambitious they must have been, to establish such a huge and powerful institution. 

Once all the students had gathered, the headmaster, an old man called Gaius, stood up and cleared his throat. He said something that vaguely sounded like _‘Sonorous’._ When he spoke again, his voice was loud and clear, and boomed through the entire hall.

“Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!

“This institution was founded and established hardly ten years ago, and yet, I’m proud to say, that we have been doing spectacularly well in all aspects! Over the years, the houses headed by the four wonderful founders of Hogwarts, have shown rapid progress in their team work and sportsmanship. I feel immense pride to be the first headmaster of such a wonderful magical institution.

“I wish you all a great year ahead. I’d like to conclude by saying ‘ _Welcome_ ', to our new students, and ‘ _Welcome back_ ' to our old students! Let the Sorting begin!”

The Hall was immediately filled with tumultuous applause. Once Headmaster Gaius was seated, a lady walked to the center of the stage, carrying a low stool and an ancient Hat.

‘ _The Sorting Hat._ . .’, Merlin thought.

She placed down the stool , and the Hat on top of it, and announced to the hall, “For those of who are new to Hogwarts, I’m Professor Mithian. Now, when I call your name, you will step forward.”, she explained, “I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be Sorted into your houses.”

And so she began reading the list of names. It was a long time before Lance was called. The Sorting Hat hummed in thought, and said something that only Lancelot could hear. He said something in response. Immediately, the Hat bellowed, “HUFFLEPUFF!”

The Hufflepuff table cheered, as Lance took his seat. Next, Arthur Pendragon was called. Merlin shuddered instinctively when his name rang out through the hall.

Looking smug and confident as ever, the blond kid walked to the stool and sat down.

“That one’s an actual _prince_ , I heard.”, Merlin heard a girl whisper to her friend, and turned to look at them. "The heir to the throne of a place named Camelot."

Her friend replied, “Well, he certainly does _look_ like a prince!” And then they both started giggling.

Merlin rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the stage. Before the Hat even touched Arthur’s head, it shouted, “GRYFFINDOR!”

 _‘Of course_. . .’, Merlin thought to himslef, ‘ _Proud, arrogant, pompous. . . Of course he’s a Gryffindor._ ’

After a few more names, it was Gwen’s turn. The Hat didn’t waste even a second before announcing, “HUFFLEPUFF!” Gwen happily made her way to the seat next to Lance.

Merlin kept waiting for his turn. When he began wondering if his name had been missed while making the list, Professor Mithian called, “ _Merlin Emrys!_ ”

The boy nervously walked to the stool and sat down. As soon as the Hat was placed on his head, _it started laughing._

_Laughing_ , for the whole hall to hear, as if it had been told the funniest joke ever. Murmurs broke out amongst the students.

Finally, the Hat stopped and spoke in a low voice that was only for Merlin’s ears. “Oh, Young Warlock. . . _How small you are for such a great destiny!”_

Merlin didn’t know how to respond to a comment like that, so he remained silent.

“It hardly takes me any time to sort the others into their houses. But you, Merlin. . . You’re not like the others, are you? _You’re special.”_

Something told Merlin that this was _exactly_ what had been said to each and every student in the hall.

He remained silent.

“Where must I send you, Young Warlock?”, the Hat mused, “You are brave enough to be a Gryffindor, kind enough to be a Hufflepuff and wise enough to be a Ravenclaw. But nevertheless, which house I place you in doesn’t matter, does it? You will inevitably fulfill your destiny anyway, regardless of where you belong!”

Merlin noticed the word ‘destiny’ being used too many times. He couldn’t help wondering what his _destiny_ had in store for him.

“And that’s why I’ve reached this decision. There is a house, that _everyone_ despises. There is a common misconception, that every single child sorted into this house undoubtedly grows up to be consumed by evil. I am going to prove them wrong, by placing _you_ in that very house. Its founder and members will forever take absolute pride, that the great _Merlin_ himself, had once been in their house.”

Now Merlin was really getting worked up. _The Great Merlin himself?_ What was _that_ supposed to mean?

“Good luck, Merlin.”, the Hat whispered, and then raised its voice for the entire hall to hear, “ _SLYTHERIN!”_

Cheers erupted from the Slytherin table, as Merlin slid off the stool and walked to his new house. He had never felt so confused in his entire life.

He sat down next to a boy his age with shaggy, black hair and an easy smile.

“Hey.”, the boy said, grinning wide and giving Merlin quite a hard yet friendly slap on the back. “I’m Gwaine.”

“Merlin.”, Merlin said.

He looked around the table at his housemates. No wonder people hated this house. Most of the faces Merlin saw were painted in cunning and vile expressions. He felt his heart drop a little in his chest. _Were these the people he had to spend the next seven years with?_

He felt someone’s eyes on him. He turned in the direction of the staff at the front table.

Salazar Slytherin was looking at him.

Not _smiling_ at him, happy to have Merlin in his house. Not _scowling_ at him, disappointed to have a weak, scrawny boy join his students. He was just _looking_ , with something unfathomable hidden in his eyes.

And that _something_ , made Merlin’s blood run cold.


	4. Midnight Prophecies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin decides that if he wants answers, _he must go in search of them._

That night, Merlin couldn’t sleep.

Despite having had the most scrumptious dinner he could have ever asked for, and a bed that was so soft and comfortable that one could melt into the mattress, _Merlin couldn’t sleep._

The Sorting Hat’s words haunted him. 

‘ _How small you are for such a great destiny!’_

_‘But you, Merlin. . . You're not like the others, are you? You’re special.’_

_‘Its founder and members will forever take absolute pride, that the great Merlin himself had once been in their house.’_

What was he supposed to do with this knowledge? For the first time, Merlin appreciated the quote, ' _Ignorance is bliss_ '. He wanted to go back to a few hours ago, when he didn't know anything about his _destiny._

Was he meant to work harder than the rest of the students? Was he to consult someone regarding his choices? Or was he to remain but a bystander, and let fate run its course?

Merlin finally sighed and sat up. He buried his face in his hands. He needed answers. _Answers from the Hat that was sitting in the headmaster’s office._

What he did next was a big risk, considering that it was his first night in his new school. But Merlin had always been quite a risk-taker. _He didn’t intend to change now._

He snuck out of his dorm room and headed towards Gaius' chambers. It was around midnight. _Long_ after the curfew had begun.

* * *

The old man wouldn’t be working at this ungodly hour. Merlin knew that, and that was the only thing that gave him enough courage for each step that he took towards the office. 

“ _Alohamora!_ ”, he whispered when he reached the door, and it instantly clicked open. Merlin knew that all the light reading and practice he had done during the vacation would come in handy.

He entered the room. It was too dark to see clearly. He muttered ‘ _Lumos!_ ’, and the surroundings slightly lit up. Merlin immediately spotted the Sorting Hat.

He cleared his throat a little loudly. When there was no response, he tentatively called, “Hello?”

The Hat yawned and woke up from its slumber.

“ _Ah, Young Warlock._ ”, it said groggily, “I was expecting you.”

“Yeah, well,”, Merlin said, “what you said during The Sorting was not something one would easily forget.”

The Hat chuckled. “True, that might be, Merlin. But unfortunately, I cannot give you the answers you seek. There are some things, that only time can reveal. Until then, you must wait.”

“Well, I think you’ve got the wrong person.”, Merlin said, shrugging. “I’m just a nobody, and always will be.”

“Soon you will realize, Young Warlock,”, the Hat said, “that you are _anything_ but a nobody.”

Merlin sighed. He didn’t know why he had thought this would work in the first place. “Thanks. _I guess. ._ .”, he said, turning to leave. 

“I assume that you have crossed paths with the young Pendragon?”, the Hat asked.

“Prince Arthur?”, Merlin asked, “Let’s just say that ‘ _crossed paths_ ' is a very _decent_ description of how I met him.”

The Hat chuckled again.

“What does _he_ have to do with all of this, anyway?”, Merlin asked. 

“ _Your paths lie together, Merlin_. It might not seem credible now, but he has an extremely crucial role to play in your rise to fame and recognition. For now, I’m afraid that’s all I can say.”

“ _Of course, it is._ ”, Merlin said irritably and left without another word.

* * *

When he plopped down onto his bed again, he felt even more troubled than earlier. _His and Arthur’s paths lie together?_

_Surely that can’t be good. . ._


	5. Special Privileges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin spends his first day at Hogwarts. 
> 
> He is _not_ very happy.

Merlin hoped that his first day at Hogwarts would be a memorable one. His wish came true, _but not in the way that he’d wished for._

The first class for the day was Defence Against the Dark Arts. The Hufflepuffs and Slytherins had a combined class. Merlin was glad to be able to see Gwen and Lance again. 

Even though Merlin missed his friends, he was not completely alone in his own house. Gwaine seemed great. In fact, Merlin liked him so much that he was planning to introduce him to Gwen and Lancelot before class started.

“Merlin!”, Gwen said cheerfully, when she saw him enter the class with Gwaine. Lancelot was sitting on her right. She patted the seat to her left in invitation. Merlin sat next to her, and Gwaine next to him.

“How has your day been so far?”, Lance asked, smiling brightly.

“Pretty good!”, Merlin replied, “How about yours?”

“Just great!”

Merlin smiled and looked at Gwaine.

“Oh, and this is Gwaine! First and only friend I’ve made in my house.”

Lance and Gwen shook his hand one after the other, unhesitatingly welcoming him into their little group.  
“Hello, Gwaine! I’m Gwen.”

“And I’m Lancelot.”

“Nice to meet you both.”, Gwaine said, grinning, and looking a little overwhelmed by their affection.

They chatted for a few minutes, before a man entered the class. The chatter stopped almost immediately.

He stood in front of the class and cleared his throat. Then in a grave voice, he said, “I'm Agravaine. I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. Now, before we start today’s class, I want to know a few things.”

Merlin guessed that he was going to ask them all their names and hobbies, and began preparing a speech in his mind. But that was not what the professor asked.

“All the pure-bloods, raise your hands.”

Merlin had no idea what one’s blood status had to do with a DADA class, but he raised his hand all the same. Gwen and Gwaine raised their hands too, along with half the class. 

Agravaine looked at each pure-blood with a warm smile on his face. But somehow, Merlin didn’t really feel touched by the act. The reason might have been the man’s impassive eyes.

“Half-bloods?”, the professor asked.

Lancelot and a quarter of the class raised their hands. The look on Agravaine’s face hardened a little, and he gave a forced smile.

“So the rest must be muggle-borns, then. . .”, he said, not even having the decency to hide his scowl. Merlin inwardly retched at his bigoted mindset. 

When Agravaine began teaching, his eyes focused only on the pure-bloods, moving from one child to the next as they nodded in response. 

When he gave Merlin a toothy grin after saying a deregatory joke, _Merlin didn’t return it._

* * *

“I’m Morgause. I will be taking Configuration, or in simple words, transformation of forms.”, the blonde woman with deep-set eyes said solemnly. “When your turn arrives, introduce yourselves, along with your blood-status.”

Merlin cringed. 

This was not a combined class, so the room was filled with Slytherins. Merlin noticed that there was not a single muggle-born among the students. There were only a couple of half-bloods here and there. 

“Why aren’t there any muggle-borns in our batch?”, Merlin whispered to Gwaine, when a girl called Sefa was introducing herself. 

“Don’t you know?”, Gwaine whispered back. “Muggle-borns are not allowed in Slytherin. The founder is very specific and strict about the blood-status of the house members.”

Merlin frowned, his brow creasing in thought. _Why did one's blood-status matter so much to these people?_ And why were the pure-bloods getting better treatment from their professors? Why should the pure-bloods be entitled with special privileges? Shouldn’t their character and skill be given more importance?

After the introduction, Morgause cleared her throat. “Today, we will start with a rudimentary spell. You all have a goblet of water in front of you.”

“Oops!”, Gwaine whispered. “I thought that was refreshment and drank it.”

Merlin snorted. 

“You will be learning to transform it into a mouse.”, the professor instructed. 

And then, the hour passed by quickly, filled with wrongly pronounced spells and laughter and ‘ _Woo!_ ’s of victory.

(And of course, _the squeaking of a few mice_.)

* * *

The Slytherins and Gryffindors had Potions together. Merlin groaned, realizing that it meant spending an hour in the same room as Arthur Pendragon. 

A tall, dark-haired man with light stubble walked into the classroom. When silence fell, he spoke in a rather bored and disinterested voice. “I’m Cendred. I’ll be taking Potions.” 

“I heard someone say that this bloke has the hots for Professor Morgause.”, Gwaine whispered to Merlin, grinning.

“First things first.", Professor Cendred said. "Who are the pure-bloods in this class?”

It was almost physically painful for Merlin to stifle the loud groan of exasperation that rose in his throat.

He looked around the room, and saw Arthur raising his hand. So were the two boys sitting on either side of him. One of them had curly, golden-brown hair that was a little longer than his own, but shorter than Gwaine’s. The other boy’s head was shaved, and he looked a little too bulky for a 11-year old. 

“Alright. . . Hands down. Today, you will be taught to brew a very simple potion.”

Merlin noticed that this man didn’t even bother about the half-bloods, let alone the muggle-borns.

* * *

After class, Merlin and Gwaine walked out of the room, discussing about their next class.

Before Merlin could process it, a foot stuck out in his way. He tripped over it, but Gwaine had grabbed his arm firmly before he could crash onto the floor.

As soon as he had regained his composure, Merlin whipped around angrily.

What did he expect? Of course it was Prince Prat. 

The blond stood leaning against the wall, smirking obnoxiously. His two cronies flanked him, sporting a similar expression.

“Careful there, _Merlin_. Don’t want you falling down and breaking your face.”, Arthur drawled. “ _Well, that wouldn’t make you look any worse than you already do, anyway.”,_ he muttered, loud enough for Merlin to hear.

Merlin sighed. He could say something rude in response, but instead, he decided to choose his battles. “Come on, Gwaine.”, he muttered and began walking down the corridor. 

“ _Aw, don’t run away!”,_ Arthur called. 

Merlin closed his eyes in annoyance. _His patience was slipping rapidly._

Maybe he shouldn't ' _run away_ ', after all. If Arthur wanted a fight, that’s exactly what he’d get. 

“From _you?”_ , Merlin asked derisively.

“Oh, thank God.”, Arthur said. “I was beginning to think you were deaf as well as dumb.”

Merlin turned around and walked back to the blond to stand right in front of him. “Look. I knew you were an ass. I just didn’t know you're a _royal_ one.”

“Oh, Merlin. . . You’re doing it again.”, Arthur said, cocking his head to the side. “Didn’t your _mummy_ teach you how to address royalty?”

“Didn’t _yours_ teach you how to respect fellow students?”

As soon as Merlin mentioned his mother, Arthur’s smirk disappeared and was replaced by a grimace. In a second, he pulled out his wand. Merlin had only a second’s warning before the blond shouted, _“Locomoter Wibbly!”_

What happened next, was something Merlin would never be able to explain.

He pulled out his own wand and yelled, “ _Protego!”_ Arthur’s spell hit an invisible shield and dissolved into nothingness. _“Expelliarmus!”_ , Merlin said, and his wand flew out of his hand. _“Incarcerous!_ ”, Merlin shouted, and ropes materialized from thin air and tied the Prince’s arm to his torso.

Merlin blinked. He had never learnt _any_ of those spells during the vacation. He had never heard or seen the words ‘ _Locomoter Wibbly'_ before, but somehow, in that second, he knew that it was a spell that turned the opponent’s legs to jelly. He had never come across any of the three spells that he had just yelled at Arthur, and yet he had instinctively used them when provoked, along with the correct hand movement.

_How was that possible?_

Arthur grunting in exertion brought Merlin back down to Earth. “Percival! Leon! Get me out of his mess!” 

But before his friends could even try to help Arthur, a cold voice spoke from behind them.

_“What is going on here?”_

Merlin spun around, and froze at the sight.

_It was Salazar Slytherin._


	6. Detention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin and Arthur get their first detention.

“ _You two. My office_. _Now.”_

With those five words, Salazar Slytherin walked away. Merlin looked at Arthur, and realized that he was still struggling with the ropes. 

“ _Untie me, you idiot!_ ”, he squeaked indignantly.

“I— I don’t know how to.”, Merlin said honestly. Unlike the spells that had popped into his mind when the jelly-legs jinx was aimed at him, nothing came to his mind now. He was blank.

“So you knew how to _cast_ the spell, but you don’t know how to _counter_ it?”, Arthur asked incredulously.

“Let's just—”, Merlin said, closing his eyes and trying to calm down, “Let’s just follow him to his office. Maybe he knows how to reverse the effect.”

And so Merlin went to Salazar's office with a tied-up Arthur stomping beside him.

They entered after knocking. The man stood behind his desk, not looking angry, but not looking very pleased, either.

When he saw that Arthur’s arms were still bound, he impassively muttered a spell and waved his wand, and the ropes disappeared.

“Throwing around spells carelessly in the corridors, jeopardizing not just your own safety, but also that of the other students.”, the founder said coldly. “ _Detention_.”

Great. Merlin had hardly spent a day in his new school, and he had already ended up getting detention.

“This evening at eight, both of you will copy notes for an hour in the library. You may leave.”, he said dismissively.

* * *

As soon as they had closed the door behind them, Arthur turned to Merlin.

“ _That was your fault.”,_ he growled.

“You fired the first spell!”, Merlin said.

“You spoke ill of my mother!” 

“Well, I was right, wasn’t I? She clearly hasn’t taught you how to treat your classmates.”

Arthur stepped closer, his eyes burning with rage. “She didn’t get a chance to teach me that,”, he said through gritted teeth, “ _because she’s dead._ ”

Merlin gasped. “I— _I’m so sorry!_ I didn’t—"

“ _See you at detention.”_ , Arthur spat and walked away.

Merlin vaguely heard a soft sniffle as the Prince turned a corner.

* * *

The library was oddly empty. Not a single student was seen. It was absurd, because this was supposed be the time kids chose to sit in some peace and quiet to finish their homework.

Merlin sighed and sat down at the long table, that stood between two towering book shelves. Very soon, Arthur joined him with a stack of books, that looked too heavy and big when piled up on his small hands. 

He placed them on the table in front of Merlin. “Master Slytherin sent these.”, Arthur said in a low voice, not bothering to look at Merlin. “He wants us to copy as much as possible by the end of the hour.”

“Okay.”, Merlin mumbled. “Hey. I’m _really_ sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to—”

“ _It’s fine.”_ , Arthur said, walking to a nearby shelf to fetch some parchment for them both. He sat in the chair next to Merlin’s and began scribbling away.

Merlin's eyes trailed to the paper the Prince was writing on. His handwriting looked unbelievably pretty and neat.

“My. . .”, Merlin said tentatively, “ _My father is dead, too.”_

Arthur stopped writing and looked up at him. That was the first time Merlin realized how blue the boy’s eyes were.

“He was travelling, and while crossing a forest, he. . . He was attacked by bandits.", he said, "It was very soon after I was born, so. . . I didn’t really get to know him.”

Merlin was looking at the book in front of him, fiddling with the pages. But he could feel Arthur’s gaze on him.

Arthur swallowed. The soft sound was amplified in the library’s dead silence. “I was just a year old when my mother died.”, he said. “She died giving birth to my sister, Morgana.” 

“I’m sorry.”, Merlin said genuinely.

“I’m sorry, too.”, Arthur said quietly, and Merlin looked up from his book, at Arthur's sincere expression.

They just looked at each other for a while. Then Merlin cleared his throat. “We should. . . get to work.”

“Yeah.”

And so they began writing.

* * *

It felt like a day had passed, but the hourglass showed that they were not even halfway through detention. 

That’s when Merlin heard a rattling noise from above. He looked up. It was the chandelier. It swayed dangerously, rattling noisily again. It was not even windy since the huge windows were bolted shut. _What was happening?_

The next second, the massive ornament was detached, and was falling right down at Arthur.

Merlin didn't remember casting a spell or pulling out his wand. _Because he didn’t._

All he did, was raise a hand in the direction of the chandelier. It froze, mid-air, right above Arthur’s head. 

Merlin waved his hand, and the glass ornament was pushed onto the opposite wall and shattered into pieces. 

“ _How— How the hell did you do that?_ ”, Arthur asked, eyes wide.

“I. . . I dunno.”, Merlin said, his heart racing. _How the hell did he do that?_

“You didn’t even use your wand! Or a spell!”, Arthur said. 

“I don’t know what happened. ”, Merlin said, more to himself than to the blond.

“Merlin.”, Arthur said. Merlin looked up. 

“ _Thank you.”,_ the Prince said, the look in his eyes enough to show that he was genuinely grateful. “ _Thank you for saving my life.”_

“ _Reparo._ ”, said a voice from a corner. Both the boys whipped around.

Salazar Slytherin stood there, waving his wand at the broken pieces of glass. The shards fused together and the chandelier was good as new. The man waved his wand towards the ceiling, and the ornament rose up and fastened itself to its hook.

Merlin stared at him in disbelief.

_He had done this. He had detached the chandelier._

_But why?_

“Detention's over.”, Salazar said nonchalantly to the two boys. “You can leave, Pendragon.”

And then his eyes focused on Merlin. “But _you_ , Emrys. . . _I need to have a word with you._ ”


	7. To the Pinnacle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin decides to give his destiny a chance.

Merlin was back in Salazar Slytherin's office, sitting in front of his mahogany office table. 

Only now did he take notice of the way the room was decorated. Royal green curtains hung in front of the closed windows. The walls were covered in portraits of people Merlin didn’t recognize. The theme of most of the ornaments and furniture in the room was _serpentine_.

“Merlin Emrys. _._ .”, Salazar said, bringing Marlin’s attention back to the man sitting behind the table. “ _I knew you were a special case the moment I laid eyes on you.”_

“Oh.”, Merlin said in a small voice, remembering the Sorting Hat’s words. _You’re special. . ._

“I have been observing you, Merlin.”, the founder said, stroking his long beard. “I saw you at the corridor today. I saw the way you instinctively cast the spells at Pendragon, as if the skill was something. . . _inborn_.”, he paused, giving Merlin an appraising look. “You hadn’t learnt any of those three spells before you came to Hogwarts, did you?”

“No.”, Merlin replied immediately. Salazar hummed.

“And yet the incantations tumbled out of your mouth, as naturally as song from a nightingale’s beak. Your hand moved with finesse that can be seen only in accomplished sorcerers.”

Merlin remained silent. What the man was saying was true. Merlin knew that. But none of it made sense. _None_ _of it._

“So I decided to push your instincts a little further. To give your magic an _incentive_ , to reveal itself in its raw form. I gave you detention with Pendragon, and imperilled his life. You didn’t waste a second before manifesting a power that is _oh_ , so unique. _Wandless and wordless magic._ Do you know how rare that gift is, Merlin?”

Merlin shook his head. _No, he had no idea._

Salazar looked into his eyes, his piercing gaze drilling holes into the boy. “ _Did you know that your eyes flash gold when you perform magic?”_

Merlin shook his head again. 

The founder was silent for a while, apparently considering an idea. When he spoke again, his voice was somehow a _tiny_ bit more affectionate, and Merlin felt his tension and nerves dissipate a little. The simple act made Merlin feel closer to this man, than he had felt with any of the Hogwarts professors.

“You must have noticed that none of the founders teach any subject at Hogwarts.”

Merlin nodded. He _had_ noticed.

“That is because we four are not professors. _We are mentors_.”, the man said. "We personally train students whom we know have more potential than the rest. And you, Merlin, _clearly_ fall under that category.”

The warlock didn’t know what to say. Was the founder suggesting what Merlin thought he was suggesting?

“If you allow me to mentor you, Merlin, you will learn to use your precious gift. I will make sure that one day, you reach unimaginable heights. You will wield so much power, that it’s _unprecedented_. _The world will speak your name_. So I’m asking you, Merlin. _Will you let me mould you, into what every wizard and witch dreams to become?”_

The Sorting Hat’s prophecy resurfaced in Merlin’s mind.

 _Maybe this was his destiny_.

Maybe, to become what he was _foreseen_ to become, he must take this step. _He must allow himself to be led to the pinnacle._

Merlin took a deep breath.

“ _It would be an honour, Sir._ ”


	8. The First Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When yet another professor makes a rude comment about muggle-borns, Merlin decides to speak up.

The next day, Slytherins and Gryffindors had History of Magic together. 

The professor was a rotund, old lady who all but rolled into the class. 

“I am Professsor Grunhilda. I will be teaching History of Magic for you munchkins.”

Merlin raised his eyebrows at the way she addressed her students, but was relieved that she at least didn’t start questioning about their blood-status.

“Now, I like to have my students made into groups, so that when I give them homework and assignments, the appointed leader can collect them from their team members. _Makes my job easier_. . . So, now I’ll be choosing the leaders. It will be a completely random selection, since I don’t know any of you just yet.”

And with that, she began pointing at random students. After selecting four people, her eyes found Merlin. “And you.” 

Merlin stood up along with the other four students. 

“Choose your teammates.”, Grunhilda said, and the leaders began calling out the names of the students who they wanted in their group. Since Merlin was selected last, he didn’t really have a choice. The students who were left out would be his group members. 

Gwaine, Arthur and his two friends were part of them. (Merlin was surprised that no one had called dibs on the Prince yet. _Were they intimidated by him, maybe?)_

“What’s your name, boy?”, the professor asked Merlin.

“Merlin Emrys, ma’am.”

“Well, sorry, Merlin. Looks like you can’t choose your members. You’re going to have to take the rest. . .”, she said, and then turned to the rest of the students. “How many of those in Merlin’s team are muggle-borns?”

 _‘Here we go again_.’, Merrlin thought.

Around six students raised their hands. The professor winced. “ _Ouch_. That’s pretty unfortunate, huh, boy?”, she asked Merlin.

Merlin thought about it. This was his chance. He was given a golden opportunity to share his opinion about the disgusting partiality shown towards pure-bloods, and the unfair discrimination against muggle-borns.

 _Merlin grabbed the opportunity_.

“Actually, I have _absolutely_ no problem with that, ma’am. I see all these students as my classmates and friends. Maybe some of them will give me a hard time, maybe some of them will help me with my duties. But I don’t see how their _blood-status, of all things,_ is relevant to the homework and assignments they will be submitting to me. Pure-blood, half-blood or muggle-born; _they’re all equal to me,_ and I really hope that the other leaders feel that way, too.”

His words were met with silence. All the students were looking at him now, some of them smiling encouragingly and some staring blankly. There were even some who looked _scandalized_.

 _“Very well. ._ .”, Professor Grunhilda said, eyes wide, looking obviously taken aback by Merlin’s bold response. 

Merlin sat down, and Gwaine gave him an appreciative slap on the back.

* * *

“Merlin!”

Someone called him, as Merlin was leaving the class with Gwaine. He turned and saw that it was Arthur. His two friends stood at a distance.

Arthur came to stand in front of the boy. He opened and closed his mouth, like he was unsure if he should say this.

But eventually, he said, “Your little speech was. . . _really admirable_. I haven’t seen many, who are as open-minded as you are.” He gave a small smile. “I’m sure you’ll make a great leader.”

Merlin beamed. “Thanks, Arthur.”

Arthur gave a small, awkward smile, his cheeks going a little pink. But when the blond turned to leave, Merlin stopped him.

“Since we all are going to be in the same group, maybe you should introduce your friends to us.”, he said, gesturing towards the two boys at the back.

“Indeed!”, Arthur said, and immediately turned and waved to them. They stepped forward.

“Um, this is Leon, and this is Percival.”, Arthur said.

Merlin shook their hands with a warm smile. “Great to meet you! I’m Merlin, and this is my friend Gwaine.”

Leon extended a hand, but Gwaine was busy staring at Percival. Merlin gave him a nudge to the ribs, and he snapped out of his reverie. He shook hands with the two boys. “Nice to meet you both!”, he said cheerfully.

“Hey!", Merlin said. “Since we’re headed to lunch anyway, why don’t we all eat together? We can introduce you people to our other two friends in Hufflepuff, too! Only if you don't have other plans, that is. . .”

Arthur grinned. “Sure. The more, the merrier!”

Then he turned to Leon and Percy. “What do you say?” They both nodded, smiling. 

“Excellent!”, Merlin said, and the five kids began walking to the Great Hall, chatting and laughing.

* * *

Merlin didn’t know it yet, but when he agreed to allow Salazar Slytherin to mentor him, he might have taken his first step towards his rise to power; but _today_ , when he spoke up for the rights of muggles and muggle-borns, _he had taken his first steps towards something much, much more beautiful._


	9. Evening Breeze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin gets to know Arthur better.

One evening, Merlin went to the quidditch pitch to sit in the bleachers for some calm and quiet, so that he could read in peace. That’s when he saw Arthur.

The Prince was having a sword in hand. He was brandishing it in the air, as is fending off an invisible enemy. Merlin wondered why Arthur was practising sword-fighting, when he could use a wand instead.

The raven-haired boy walked to the blond.

"Hey.", he said, smiling.

Arthur turned, and his face lit up when he saw Merlin. "Hi!", he chirped.

Ever since Merlin and Arthur had had lunch together with their gang, the two boys began forgetting their differences and the rocky beginning to their relationship. Merlin stopped seeing the Prince as a prat, and began considering him more as a _friend_.

"What are you doing?", Merlin asked, leaning against one of the stands. He placed down his book to watch the Prince, his intention of reading completely forgotten.

"Improving my swordsmanship.", Arthur replied, resuming his training. The evening breeze ruffled his golden hair _._ Merlin realized that the Prince looked quite attractive, in a charming way _._ Maybe _'dashing'_ was the word.

"Why use a sword, when you can use a wand instead?", Merlin asked.

"It’s not that simple, Merlin. Once I graduate from Hogwarts and return to Camelot, I will be around 18. I'd be expected to attend duels and jousting matches, where my opponent would mostly be a muggle. A true knight never wields a weapon that is stronger than his opponent's."

"Very honourable. . .", Merlin replied, smiling. "So, then, what _will_ you use your magic for?"  


"I would use it for the welfare of my kingdom. When I’m King, I would use my magic to aid those who are in need of help, but can’t afford it. I will use it to protect my people from evil. I will use it to make sure that my citizens are happy."

Merlin's opinion about Arthur began to improve drastically. He sounded like he would grow up to be an _absolute_ gentleman, and a great king.

Merlin noticed that he was staring at Arthur, and averted his eyes.

"How did you first realise that you had magic?", Merlin asked after a while.

Arthur's confident hand movements faltered, and the expression on his face changed _. "_

 _I would rather not talk about that."_ , he said quietly, his eyes distant.

Merlin assumed that it had something to do with his late mother, and quickly changed the topic.

"Alright. . . How did your father react when you got your Hogwarts letter?"

This time, Arthur smiled reminiscingly. _"He was delighted_. Children being born with magic is common in Camelot. However, since magic-schooling is available there, people choose not to accept their invitation when they receive their Hogwarts letter. Most of them prefer to learn from the comfort of their homes. However, my father, knowing well about the prestige and renown of this school, thought that sending me here would help me make good use of my gift. He thought that by mastering my magic and remembering the lessons he taught me, I will make an excellent King one day. When I agreed enthusiastically, the decision was made." Arthur gave a small laugh. "When we got that letter, all the crazy incidents that had ensued because of my magic made sense. I realised why objects began levitating every time I was tickled."

Merlin smiled. _How adorable was that!_

His smile was quickly replaced by a mischievous grin.

"Are you still ticklish?", he asked off-handedly, pretending to be studying his cuticles.

"I dunno. . . Probably.", Arthur said, slashing the air with his sword. Then his eyes went wide and he whipped in Merlin's direction. But it was too late.Merlin had already pounced on Arthur, knocking the sword from his hand.

Merlin's hands attacked Arthur's sides, scribbling over his clothed skin. The Prince immediately began giggling.

But before Merlin could realise what was happening, Arthur pulled out his wand and yelled, _"Rictumsempra!"_

Merlin was immediately thrown off the blond. He fell on his back and began laughing wildly. It felt like tiny feathers were tickling all over his body. He rolled on the grass, clutching at his tummy and howling with laughter.

The Prince stood up, towering over him with a kind of fond smile on his face. Merlin was starting to get a little breathless, when Arthur muttered something, and the merciless tickling stopped.

“ _Oh, thank God!”,_ Merlin said, panting and closing his eyes. “If you hadn’t stopped, I would have peed my pants!”

"Oh, who said I was stopping?", Arthur asked, suddenly sitting down to straddle the boy. _"I just realised that your method seems more fun."_

And with that, Arthur began tickling Merlin’s tummy once more.

_Merlin didn't remember the last time he had laughed so heartily._


	10. Over the Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time flies, and before Merlin knows it, he's at the end of his first year at Hogwarts.

Merlin began falling in love with his new school.

Not all his professors were narrow-minded snobs. His Herbology professor, Isolde, Charms professor, Mithian, and Professor Tristan who gave flying lessons, treated all their students as equals.

Merlin began hanging out a lot with Arthur, Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Lance and Gwen. The gang became inseparable, and each one of them became dear to Merlin. The closer he got with his friends, _the more he felt at home._

Merlin attended personal training sessions taught by Salazar Slytherin regularly. As the weeks and months passed, he learnt to control his magic. Rather than just bursting out when provoked, his skill became more _manageable_. Soon Merlin was capable of doing wandless and wordless magic with a simple flash of his eyes.

But learning magic is an ocean, and Merlin had only tested the waters yet. There was still _loads_ to learn.

Apart from his personal training, Merlin began to excel in class, too. He topped his classes, practiced everyday and mastered the basic spells. All the professors began celebrating the young warlock.

Merlin also used every opportunity to speak up for muggles and muggle-borns. In History of Magic, he used his power as a leader to put down any one who bullied a half-blood. He immediately reported any person who used a _certain deregatory term_ to shame muggle-borns. Merlin used his popularity amongst the teachers to spread his idea of how all students must be represented by who they have grown up to be, rather than who they were _born_ as.

Merlin realized that despite his frequent speeches and advices, the society at Hogwarts was still plagued with prejudice and unfair privileges. He came to understand that his voice alone, however loud, was not enough to bring down an entire system. He needed to spread the message. He needed to amass support. _He needed a revolution._

But every revolution, _starts with a spark_.

So did this one. But that _spark,_ had not ignited _just yet_. It would take a few more years for Merlin to finally reach his breaking point. And once the uprising started, _it would spread like forest fire._

But for now, it was just the end of his first year.

 _Merlin was still a child_ , _too innocent and young to fight a war._


	11. Did You Miss Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin is returning to Hogwarts. During the vacation, he really missed a certain _someone_.
> 
> But he's not ready to admit it to _said someone._

Going back to Hogwarts was exhilarating.

After spending the entire summer vacation at Ealdor, Merlin had begun to miss his school, his teachers, his friends.

 _Especially Arthur_.

Throughout the holidays, the two boys kept exchanging letters, telling each other about how their day had been, or about new hobbies they had developed, or about random things that came to their mind. 

Merlin wanted to tell Arthur that he _really_ missed him, but he didn’t include that in any of his letters. He was too shy to actually write it down. Something told him that when they were back at school, Arthur would tease the _life_ out of him for being so corny and sentimental. 

Now, as he boarded the Hogwarts Express and tried to find an empty compartment, he was feeling awfully excited at the prospect of being back at Hogwarts, meeting his friends and seeing Arthur.

When he found an empty compartment, he got settled and waited. He took Aithusa out of her cage and rocked her in the crook of his arm.

Merlin smiled, as a strong wave of _déjà vu_ washed over him.

He heard the apartment door whip open with a much-too-familiar ' _whoosh_ '. Merlin whipped around, but he already knew who he would see.

“Arthur!”, Merlin said, jumping up. Aithusa chittered indignantly at the sudden movement.

Beaming wide, the blond came in with his trunk. He took the stoat from Merlin with one hand and put the boy in a headlock with the other. 

Merlin laughed. He had _definitely_ missed this.

As if he had read Merlin’s thoughts, Arthur let him go and asked, “Did you miss me?”

Merlin hummed as if in thought. “Not really.”, said Merlin’s lips, but his blush told an entirely different story.

Arthur stuck out his tongue. He plopped down on the seat and held Aithusa level with his face. 

“Did he miss me, love?”, he asked the stoat in an endearing voice, and then held it close to his ear. 

“Mm-hmm.”, Arthur said, and then giggled when she licked his ear.

“Aithusa told me the truth, Merlin.”, Arthur said, placing the stoat on his lap and petting it. 

“Which is?”, Merlin asked sitting down next to his friend. 

“You missed me so much that you began saying my name in your sleep. She heard you.”

Merlin looked down, going red. “Very funny.”, he muttered, taking the animal from Arthur. “Now why don’t you take Modred out so that I can know how much _you_ missed _me_?”

“That won't be necessary. ", Arthur said, “I’ll tell you that myself.” 

And just like that, the Prince wrapped his arms around Merlin. _“I missed you a lot.”_

At that moment, Merlin realized how stupid it was to hide his own experience from Arthur.

 _“Me too.” ,_ he said, smiling.

Suddenly, there was another ' _whoosh'_. The two boys jumped and pulled apart to look at the door.

It was Gwaine.

“Oops.”, he said, smirking. “ _Did I interrupt something?”_

“ _Shut up_.”, Merlin and Arthur replied in unison.  



	12. The Mandrake's Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For someone destined to be the greatest sorcerer in history, Merlin can be _really_ daft sometimes.

“Welcome to Greenhouse-3, Second Years!”, Professor Isolde announced.

“Today, we will learn about Mandrakes. Mandrake, also known as _Mandragora_ , can be used to return those who are petrified to their original state. But they can also be quite dangerous, because the cry of the Mandrake root is fatal.”

“Its _cry_?”, Gwaine whispered to Merlin, confused.

"However, since these Mandrakes are seedlings, their cries won’t kill you _yet_. But they will definitely knock you out for several hours, which is why you’ve all been supplied with a pair of earmuffs, for auditory protection. Everybody please strap them on.”

As soon as the students obeyed, Professor Isolde wrenched out the plant. Immediately, a screeching cry rang out through the space. An ugly looking creature — the Mandrake root — was wailling obnoxiously; the source of the noise.

“That’s the most annoying noise I’ve ever heard in my life.”, Merlin said, wincing. His head was starting to slightly spin.

“What are you talking about?”, Arthur asked, turning to look at his friend. “I can’t hear anything.”

“I— It’s—”, Merlin mumbled, his vision starting to blur. 

“ _Merlin_.”, Arthur said, panic seeping into his voice. “ _Where are your earmuffs?”_

Merlin hardly heard the last few words, before his knees gave in. He felt strong arms wrap securely around him, as he sunk down. 

The last thing Merlin saw was Arthur’s terrified ocean-blue eyes.

* * *

Merlin’s eyes fluttered open. 

He was not in his bed; not in his dorm-room.

Merlin swallowed to moisten his parched throat. He blinked and squinted around. 

He was in the hospital wing, lying in a ward-bed. 

It was too dark, so it toom him a while to realize that he was not alone. Right beside him was Arthur, sleeping with his head and folded arms resting on the edge of Merlin’s bed. 

Merlin watched his placid face, relaxed and innocent. _Arthur_ _looked so peaceful when he slept._

Merlin tried to sit up without making much noise, but Arthur stirred at the movement.

When his gaze focused and fell on Merlin, he jumped up and scooted closer. The blond took Merlin’s hands in his own. He looked like he was going to say sweet, soothing words. But instead, he said,

“You really are an _idiot_ , aren’t you, Merlin?”

Merlin snorted. “Nice to see you, too, Clotpole.”

“ _I’m serious.”_ , Arthur said, and squeezed Merlin’s hands tightly, as if to assert his point. “What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how worried I was? The Mandrake’s cry is _fatal_ , for heaven's sake! For a second, I thought you were dead!”

“Those were just seedlings.”, Merlin pointed out, still smiling. "Their roots can’t kill.”

“It would be useful if you paid as much attention to your safety, as you did to the class.”, Arthur chided.

“It’s fine, Arthur. _I’m_ fine.”, Merlin said, his heart warming at the Prince's display of affection. “How long have I been unconscious, anyway? An hour?”

“A _day_!”, Arthur said. “The class took place yesterday morning.”

Merlin looked around again. The darkness meant it was nightime. Merlin had been knocked out for around 36 hours.

“ _Oops_.”

* * *

Later, on talking to Gwaine, Merlin got to know that Arthur had been worried out of his mind the whole time.

“We thought the Princess was gonna cry.”, Gwaine had said, his voice lacking its usual playful tone.

Merlin felt overwhelmed by Arthur’s kindness and concern for him. All his friends cared a _lot_ about Merlin, but when it came to the Prince, _it was always one step further._

Merlin smiled, thanking his destiny for making him meet Arthur Pendragon.


	13. Gryffindor's Keeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second year is when the students finally get a shot at getting into the quidditch team.

“This year, you all will be getting a chance to prove yourselves worthy of playing for your house's quidditch team.”, Professor Tristan said to the assembled audience. “Those interested, please be at the quidditch pitch this evening at five for the try-outs.”

Merlin was never into sports. He loved watching quidditch matches, but playing for the team was an entirely different matter.

Merlin's friends, on the other hand, had other ideas. . .

* * *

“I got in!”, Gwaine said, bursting into their dorm room that night.

He had been trying out for the position of one of the three Slytherin chasers.

“That’s excellent!”, Merlin said, smiling. “Congrats.”

“Thanks, Merlin.”, Gwaine said, grinning wide.

“What about our other friends?”

“Percy is a beater for Gryffindor.”, Gwaine said immediately, and Merlin smiled at how ' _Percy_ ' was the first name that came to Gwaine's mind. 

“Leon is a chaser for Gryffindor, and Elyan and Lance are chasers for Hufflepuff. Morgana is Slytherin’s seeker.”  


Elyan was Gwen’s brother, and Morgana was Arthur’s sister. They had joined Hogwart’s that year. Elyan immediately joined their little gang. But Morgana, though genial and friendly, didn’t hang out with them much. She got close to Gwen, but that was it.

“And what about Arthur?”, Merlin asked.

“Oh, he got in, too! He is Gryffindor's keeper.”

Merlin beamed. He couldn’t wait to see the Prince and congratulate him. 

“Look at you.”, Gwaine said, smirking. “That smile is lighting up the room.”

“Shut up.”, Merlin said, blushing.

* * *

"Is that Gryffindor's new keeper that I see?", Merlin asked, grinning, as he walked up to Arthur. As soon as the blond saw him, he smiled.

They headed to the Great Hall for dinner. Merlin noticed that the more Arthur spoke about the trails, the more his happiness seemed to diminish. 

"Arthur.", Merlin said eventually, abandoning his chicken steak and turning in his seat to face the Prince. "What's the matter?"

Arthur fiddled with his fork.

"I'm not sure that they selected me for my skill.", he said in a small voice.

"What do you mean?"

After another pause, Arthur said, " _I think they chose me for my blood-status."_

"What makes you think that, Arthur?", Merlin asked, rubbing his hand in comforting circles on Arthur's back.

"I. . . There were many people who did _extremely_ well in the tryouts. But most of the selected kids were pure-bloods. I mean, think about it. Leon, Percy, Gwaine, Elyan, my sister. . . I don't mean to say that our friends didn't deserve to be selected. In fact, I admired their spectacular performance. But I just happened to notice this particular commonality among the selected players, and now it's grating on my mind." Arthur sighed. "Maybe that's why they selected me, too. _Maybe I'm not worthy, after all. . ."_

"Arthur.", Merlin said firmly, "I might not know everything about quidditch, and what you said about the staff being more inclined towards selecting pure-bloods might be true. But if there's one thing that I know for sure, it is that _you earned your position_. I don't have to watch you play, to know that you must have rocked the try-outs. Even if the quidditch captain had, after all, selected you for your blood-status, then he has ended up choosing the right guy _for the wrong reason_. So don't you dare doubt yourself for a second, okay?"

Arthur gave a little smile. "I really needed that, Merlin. Thank you.", but then he frowned once more, and said, "Just. . . one more thing.", he sputtered nervously for a second before asking, " _You like me for who I am, right?_ Not becasue of me being a prince, or my popularity, or my blood-status? I mean, I know you, and I know that you of all people wouldn't give importance to such petty things. But. . . I just want to hear you say that. . . Even if I weren't a pure-blood, _you'd still be my freind, right?"_

Merlin smiled. _"Even if you end up being a toad, I'd still be your friend."_

Arthur chuckled, all the tension and uncertainty disappearing from his face. "Thank you, Merlin."

"Now, why don't you flex your new quidditch skills to me some other time?", Merlin asked, grinning.

Arthur ruffled his hair, and said,

" _I'll be looking forward to that."_


	14. Duelling (Or So They Call It)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Merlin and Arthur are paired up for a duelling lesson, the two boys mess around too much for their own good.

Being a second-year at Hogwarts, meant getting to learn duelling. Merlin was _thoroughly_ excited.

* * *

“Please choose your partners.”, Headmaster Gaius announced to the Great Hall, where students from all four houses were assembled. The four founders sat at the front table, along with the Hogwarts professors, ready to assist the students in case of an accident. 

Merlin obviously paired up with Arthur.

“Spread yourselves out. Stand a safe distance away from other pairs. Bow to your partner, and then you may start duelling. Now, you are only allowed to use harmless spells that will not inflict any kind of injury on your friends. The use of harsh or violent spells will not be tolerated, and will be punished severely. Please bear that in mind. You may begin.”

The students did as they were told.

“Scared, Emrys?”, Arthur asked, smirking playfully, as they faced each other in their allotted place.

“You wish.”, Merlin said, mirroring Arthur’s expression.

They bowed to each other, and then it began.

“ _Expelliarmus_!”, Arthur yelled. 

“ _Protego_!”, Merlin responded, and the spell hit an invisible shield and disappeared.

“Not so fast, Pendragon.”, Merlin said, smirking. “We don’t want this to be over before it begins.”

“No, we don't.”, Arthur agreed.

Merlin hummed, and said, “ _Tallantalegra_!”

As soon as the spell hit Arthur, his legs began dancing frantically. Merlin laughed, as he saw the Prince’s legs jumping and tapping and spasming. 

“Seriously, Merlin?”, Arthur asked a little breathlessly, _“The Dancing Feet Spell?”_

“Oh, I’m loving this!", Merlin said, laughing.

“ _Finite Incantatem_!”, Arthur said, and his legs were in his control once again.

“ _Now it’s my turn_.”, the blond said. “ _Rictumsempra_!” 

Merlin had only a moment's headstart, in which his eyes grew wide and he squeaked before he fell to the ground on his back and began rolling on the floor laughing. 

‘ _Of course the prat used the tickling charm.’,_ Merlin thought as his whole body tingled from the merciless magic-tickling. ‘ _He knew I wouldn't stand a chance against it.’_

Finally, after spluttering and wheezing, Merlin managed to choke out a barely coherent “ _Finte Incantatem!_ ”, and the torment on his body stopped.

“ _You’ll pay for that_.”, Merlin said, panting. “ _Ebublio_!”

Immediately, Arthur was trapped inside a huge bubble, and began floating several inches above the ground.

Merlin saw the Prince mouth an incredulous “ _Really_?”, followed by the counterspell. The bubble burst, and Arthur landed firmly on his feet.

“ _Langlock_!”, he yelled, and immediately Merlin’s tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. That was really clever of Arthur, because this meant that Merlin wouldn't be able to cast the counterspell. 

“I think we have a clear winner. . .”, Arthur said, walking up to Merlin and ruffling his hair. Merlin rolled his eyes, and Arthur chuckled.

“Merlin.”

The two boys turned at the mention of the warlock's name.

_It was Salazar Slytherin._

“I want you both in my office for a minute.”, he said coldly. “ _That is, if you are done flirting with each other.”_

Merlin and Arthur blushed, and silently followed the founder to his office. 

_This was not going to end well, was it?_


	15. Ultimatum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin is given an order, the defying of which will jeopardize his relation with his mentor. What does Merlin do?

Merlin and Arthur stood in front of Salazar's office table, exchanging worried glances.

The founder stood behind his desk silently, looking at the two with an inscrutable expression. The boys didn’t dare open their mouth.

Finally, the old man said, “Have you learnt nothing, Merlin?” 

“Sir?”, Merlin asked uncertainly, not knowing how to respond to such an abrupt question.

“I’ve been mentoring you for more than a year now. Was all my effort futile?”

“I’m sorry if I let you down, Sir, but I don’t quite understand what I’ve done wrong.”, Merlin said humbly.

Salazar leaned forward, resting his palms on the table. “Do you call that _duelling_?” 

“Sir?”

“What you boys did back there, is called ‘ _banter_ '.”, Salazar said, spitting out the last word. Merlin and Arthur went red, looking down at their feet.

“We were not supposed to use harsh spells and jinxes, Sir.”, Merlin said, “Moreover, Arthur is my friend. Why would I want to hurt him?”

“ _Because_ , one day, when you face skilled sorcerers who want you dead, they won’t be _tickling_ you to death, Merlin!”

Merlin just bowed down his head and remained silent.

Salazar sighed. “I’m not asking you to use spells that will maim or injure your friend. I’m asking you to use ones that will effectively help you in combat. There are many such spells that you know of. One of the best examples, is _stupefy_.”

_Stupefy_. Of course, it would not hurt Arthur in any way. It would only knock him out and make him remain unconscious for a while.

“That is indeed a harmless but efficient spell, Sir.”, Merlin said, "but nevertheless, I would never use it on Arthur.”

 _“And why is that?”,_ Salazar snarled.

“Because I would never deliberately do somehing to him, that would make him feel out of control. And knocking him unconcious definitely falls under that category.”

From the corner of his eyes, Merlin could see Arthur looking at him, and for some reason, Merlin’s cheeks heated up. “Not. . . Not just him. I wouldn’t do that to any of my friends.”, he added hastily.

“I can’t have such foolish sentiments dragging you down from the power and fame you are destined to get, Merlin.”, the founder said.

“With all due respect, Sir,”, Merlin said firmly, “if I need to reach said power and fame by asserting my dominance over my friend, _then maybe this is not my destiny after all.”_  


That seemed to have touched a nerve, because the old man scowled and in three strides, was in front of Merlin. He grabbed his bony shoulders and turned him to face Arthur, and growled, “As your mentor and master, I order you to cast _the stunning spell_ on Arthur Pendragon.”

He emphasized the instruction by holding up Merlin’s hand and pointing his wand at Arthur. “ _Now_.”

Merlin didn’t wait even a second before defiantly saying _, “No.”_

Salazar's iron grip on Merlin’s small hand tightened, and the boy winced. But his eyes remained resolute and unafraid. 

“ _If you want to continue being personally trained by me,”,_ the man snarled, “ _cast the stunning spell on Pendragon.”_

With surprising strength, Merlin wrenched his hand from Salazar’s grip and dropped it to his side. 

_“No.”_

Salazar straightened up. The fire in his eyes was quickly replaced by his trademark icy glare. 

_“Then your classes with me end today.”_


	16. Just Another Part of His Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur apologizes. Merlin tells him why he doesn't have to.

“I’m sorry.”, Arthur said, as soon as they closed the office door behind them. 

“It’s not your fault.”, Merlin said, smiling. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“You have a gift that very few are blessed with.”, Arthur said guiltily. “And I ruined the one shot you had at mastering it.” 

“Arthur.”, Merlin said, turning to face his friend and taking his hand in his. “Choosing not to hurt you. . . That was _my_ choice. I don’t regret it, and never will. I’m usually really uncertain and confused when it comes to desicion-making, but if there's _one_ thing that I could decide without any qualms or doubts, _it was this._ ”

“But. . . _Why?”_ , Arthur asked, his eyebrows knitted together and lips frowning. “Why are you doing this for me?”

“ _Because you matter to me._ ”, Merlin said smiling.

For a minute, Arthur just looked at Merlin, like he had just said the noblest thing ever. “How is it that you’re so kind? So nice. So. . . sweet.”

Merlin grinned and ruffled the Prince’s hair. “ _I guess it’s just another part of my charm.”_


	17. Whispered Taunts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin is not really a fan of Quidditch. But the day Arthur became Gryffindor's keeper, that changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( **Note:** This is when we start seeing traces of Morgana's evil. To find out why a supposedly sweet and kind girl is showing dark intentions, keep reading!)

It was Arthur’s first Quidditch match.

Merlin was just as excited as the blond. After watching him practice every weekend, Merlin was finally going to watch him compete with another house. 

Arthur looked nervous, but Merlin knew that he was going to be excellent. If there was one thing that he had learnt by watching the Prince practice, it was that he was _dedicated_. And now all that hard work was going to pay off.

There were several Quidditch stands rimming the pitch, for the spectators to sit and watch. Each stand was painted and decorated in one of the four Hogwarts house colours, indicating which students must sit there. However, this allotment was not strict. So Merlin usually sat with Gwen in the Hufflepuff stand, to cheer for their friends together.

This match was Ravenclaw against Gryffindor. So Merlin, Gwaine, Lance, Elyan and Gwen all sat together to cheer for Arthur, Leon and Percy.

As expected, Arthur didn’t let the Quaffle into the hoops even once. He dove and soared on his broom, changing course in the last second and blocking the opponent’s serve. The entire audience fell in love with Arthur’s skill and sportsmanship. Soon almost all four houses began cheering for Gryffindor.

When Elena — Gryffindor’s seeker — caught the Snitch, Gryffindor won with a lead of 200 points over Ravenclaw.

Merlin couldn’t stop beaming that day.

* * *

The next match was Hufflepuff against Gryffindor. 

Elyan and Lancelot flew like arrows through the stadium. They managed to get the Quaffle past Arthur and into the hoop twice, but Arthur had blocked the rest. Gryffindor won when Elena caught the Snitch. Lance and Elyan took it well. 

This game had been more challenging for Arthur. It was a close-run, but he still managed to make it.

He was beginning to gain popularity among the students rapidly. ' _Prince Arthur_ ' became a common chant during matches.

* * *

A few months later, it was Slytherin against Gryffindor. 

Merlin was sure Arthur would blow them off the field with his performance. Slytherin only had a few skilled players, some of them being Gwaine and Morgana, so it wouldn't be too tough for Arthur to score. On the other hand, the Slytherins were known for cheating, but that would only result in deduction of points. So Merlin was fairly certain that Arthur had it easy this time.

Sometimes, Merlin felt guilty for always rooting for Arthur, even when his other best friends were playing in the opposing team. But his friends never held a grudge for this reason. When he asked Gwaine about it, he had chuckled and said, “Don’t worry about it. We all know that Arthur’s special to you.”

(Merlin hadn't asked him what that meant. Something told him that doing so would only lead to Gwaine going on to tease the life out of him. So he had smiled and nodded.)

The match began, and as Merlin had foreseen, Arthur was blocking every single serve that came his way. Merlin smiled and sat back in his seat. He already knew how this game was going to end.

But apparently, _he was mistaken._

Just after Arthur had blocked another goal and the stadium erupted with cheers, a girl in green flew towards Arthur. Merlin craned his neck to see her face.

It was Morgana.

When she was close enough, she leaned in and whispered something to her brother. Despite the distance, Merlin could see the coldness in her eyes. 

Immediately, Arthur’s smile was wiped off his face. A look of utter distress replaced it. Merlin had seen that look only _once_ before on Arthur’s face. . .

When he had told Merlin that maybe, he didn’t deserve to be on the Quidditch team. That maybe, he had been selected for his blood-status. _That maybe, he was not good enough._

Morgana smirked and flew away to look for the Snitch. 

Merlin hadn’t heard what she said to Arthur. But he knew _exactly_ what it must have been, because after that incident, Arthur couldn’t defend a single hoop. He looked insecure and nervous. He lacked his usual swift and confident moves, and flew clumsily.

That day, Gryffindor lost for the first time in the year.

* * *

“That's enough for today, Arthur.”, Merlin said, handing the Prince his water skin. “You’ve been training for hours. Get some rest.”

Merlin watched the blond’s Adam's apple bob up and down as he gulped down the offered water. 

“The end-of-the-year match is a week away, Merlin.”, Arthur said, sitting next to Merlin and wiping his mouth. “I don’t have time for rest.”

Merlin raised his hands in surrender, but before the blond could jump back up and onto his broom, Merlin quickly placed a hand on the Prince’s head, and began weaving his fingers gently between the golden strands. 

Arthur closed his eyes and leaned back against the bench. Merlin knew that this always relaxed him.

Arthur stayed for a while, eyes closed and breathing slow, and Merlin kept massaging his scalp with his fingertips. 

Out of the blue, Arthur blurted out,

_“She said I’m worthless.”_

“What?”, Merlin asked.

Arthur opened his eyes and looked at Merlin.

“That day, during the match against Slytherin, Morgana flew to me, and told me that I’m worthless. That I don’t deserve to be on the team. That I’m. . . _a disgrace to the sport.”_  


So Merlin had guessed right.

“Oh, Arthur. . .”, he said, taking the blond's hand in his. “Do you seriously believe her? Anyone who has watched you play knows that you are a blessing to the team.”

“Not in the last match, I was not.”, Arthur said sadly. “I missed every single time.”

“ _After_ Morgana manipulated you! She said what she knew would mess with your head. She knew that making you self-conscious would not let you focus on the game.” He sighed. “Honestly, I can’t believe she did that.”

“Me neither. . .”, Arthur mumbled. 

“Look here, Dollophead.”, Merlin said, shuffling closer to his friend. “You are incredible. You are amazing. Gryffindor is lucky to have you as its keeper. We all believe in you. But to be in your best form during the match, you need to believe in yourself.” 

Arthur hummed. Merlin grabbed his shoulders and massaged the muscles that he knew would be sore and aching after all that training.

“You deserve this position on the team, Arthur. In fact, you deserve so much more. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if you become Quidditch Captian in a couple of years.”

Arthur scoffed, and Merlin wanted to smack him for being so skeptical about his own talent.

“So, _please_.", Merlin said, "Please believe in yourself. If not for anyone else, _at least do it for me._ ”

Arthur looked at him, with his familiar half-frown, his eyebrows knitted together. If he wore that expression, _it meant that he was touched._

“You’re a loyal friend, Merlin.”, he said softly.

Merlin smiled and hopped off the bench. He extended his hand. “Now why don’t you come have dinner. _I know,_ that it interrupts your plan of training to death,”, Merlin said when Arthur opened his mouth to protest, “But you need some strength for that.”

Arthur sighed. He took Merlin’s hand and got down from his seat. With a small smile, he said,

_“Okay.”_


	18. Arthur Is Our King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It is unknown who actually composed the song, 'Weasley Is Our King', but it seemed to have been composed by Draco Malfoy."  
> — Harry Potter Wiki.
> 
> _But are we sure that Draco has the ownership over the lyrics of this song?_
> 
> "Merlin was believed to own a mysterious book, the contents of which were unknown and either potentially mundane, mysterious or even dangerous."  
> —Harry Potter Wiki
> 
> _Let's find out exactly where the song 'Weasley is Our King' had originated from, and what this mysterious book that Merlin owned is all about. . ._

The final Quidditch match of the year was a week away.

Arthur was training heavily, missing classes and not being present for lunch. Merlin had to be a mother-hen and carry a plate stacked with as much food as he could fit on it, to the pitch every noon. He would strictly ask Arthur to pause the game until he had had his food. Merlin also wrote his notes and lessons for him.

Even though Arthur was at the very top of his game because of his regular training and well-maintained health (thanks to Merlin), he didn’t seem confident _at all_.

Merlin knew that it was because of Morgana’s comment during the Gryffindor-against-Slytherin match. It might seem like a small thing to anyone else, but Merlin knew that it had deeply wounded Arthur. When someone hits a person where they are weak, when they trigger their insecurities, it takes a _really_ long time for that scar to heal.

But Arthur didn’t have that much time in hand. The test to all his hardwork and skill was coming up in a few days. If Arthur didn’t make his house win in the end-of-the-year match, he would never forgive himself.

Losing is just another lesson we learn in life; it’s nothing to be feared. But this particular match was very important to Arthur. Merlin knew that all too well. It was a question of Arthur’s worth and merit, and the answer was the Quidditch Cup.

If Arthur was to perform confidently in the finals, Merlin had to do something. Something big, that will instantly boost his self-esteem to great heights. Something that gave him the validation that he so dearly seeked. _Something that showed Arthur that he was good enough._

After thinking for long about what that ‘ _something_ ’ was going to be, Merlin finally came up with a plan.

* * *

Merlin sat cross-legged on his bed, with his diary in hand.

The top of the page had a title on it, written in big, bold letters:

**_ARTHUR IS OUR KING_ **

Merlin was writing his friend a song. A song that he was going to make all his friends and classmates learn. A song that they were all going to sing when the final match began. A song that would show Arthur just how much the audience loved him.

Merlin chewed at the tip of his quill as he carefully built the lyrics. . .

_Arthur is our king,_

_Arthur is our king,_

_He doesn’t let the Quaffle in,_

_Arthur is our king._

_Arthur can save anything,_

_He never leaves a single ring,_

_That’s why the students all sing_

_Arthur is our king!_

Merlin read it again and again. It sounded pretty good.

_This will do._

With a satisfied smile, Merlin got up and placed his diary under his bed. He whispered the incantation of a concealment spell, and immediately the book dissolved into its surroundings, no longer visible or tangible. It would only be able to be retrieved by saying the counterspell.

Not even the seventh-year students at Hogwart’s knew this complicated concealment spell. But Merlin did, because Salazar Slytherin had taught it to him during one of their training sessions.

Merlin always used the spell to hide his diary, because the book contained ( _apart from Merlin’s very personal feelings and thoughts)_ all the spells he learnt during his personal training with Salazar. His diary contained all the incantations and precise wand movements of dangerously powerful spells, that could wreak havoc if the book landed in the wrong hands. So Merlin protected it with a spell that he was sure none of the other students knew.

Merlin stood up and rushed to the Great Hall to discuss about his plan with his friends over lunch.

* * *

It was the day of the last Quidditch match. It was Gryffindor against ravenclaw.

Merlin had said several versions of ‘Good luck’ to Arthur, before the Prince left to take his position on the pitch.

Merlin took a seat next to Gwen in the Hufflepuff stand, along with Lance, Elyan and Gwaine. Merlin looked at them all and raised his eyebrows, silently asking them if they were prepared for his plan. They nodded. Merlin could only hope that the several others he had included in his plan were ready too.

Tristan, the Quidditch Referee, blew his whistle, and the match began.

Arthur looked quite confident, his hold on his broomstick firm, his lips drawn in a determined line.

Merlin took a deep breath. Then, his voice loud and clear, he began.

“ _Arthur is our king!”_

Taking their cue, many others joined him to sing the next line.

“ _Arthur is our king!”_

The Prince’s eyes grew wide. He looked around at the audience in surprise.

“ _He doesn’t let the Quaffle in,_

_Arthur is our king.”_

Arthur was blushing. He looked all flustered.

“ _Arthur can save anything,_

_He never leaves a single ring,”_

Arthur’s eyes found Merlin even in the crowded stadium.

Merlin nodded.

Arthur’s confused frown immediately gave way to a small smile.

“ _That’s why the students all sing_

_Arthur is our king!”_

And that’s when the Quaffle flew towards the hoops. In one swift motion, Arthur sent it flying in the opposite direction.

Merlin smiled. _This was working._

They kept singing again and again, and soon _all_ the students had the lyrics inscribed in their minds. Everyone joined in enthusiastically. The whole stadium reverberated with a thousand voices singing in chorus, each and every one praising and encouraging Arthur Pendragon.

_That day, Gryffindor won the finals with a lead of 400 points._

* * *

Arthur was on cloud nine.

Merlin watched his friend being hoisted upon the shoulders of his proud teammates. Students were cheering and shouting, regardless of their house. Headmaster Gaius announced the winner and declared thar Gryffindor had won the House Cup.

Arthur had never looked happier, holding the cup and beaming at the audience.

* * *

As soon as the commotion was over, Arthur rushed to reach Merlin. He found him on the way back to the castle.

“I think some appreciation is in order. . .”, Merlin said, smiling. “Congrats, Dollophead.”

Arthur took a moment, trying to catch his breath from all the running. As soon as he did, he looked at Merlin. “Was that you?”, he asked, “The song, the cheering. . . Was _all this_ your doing?”

“It may have been.”, Merlin said, grinning. “It was nothing, really. . . I just—“

Merlin didn’t get to finish the sentence, because Arthur had pulled him into a suffocatingly tight hug.

He just held Merlin there, right in front of several students returning to their dorms. Some of them smiled fondly, some smirked, others wolf-whistled. But merlin didn’t care. _He didn’t care about anything, other than the feeling of Arthur's arms around him._

“ _Thank you,”_ , the Prince whispered.

Merlin smiled and closed his eyes.

“ _Always, Arthur.”_

* * *

**_Several centuries later. . ._ **

Draco Malfoy entered the Slytherin dorm room, followed by Blaise Zabini.

“I can’t wait to show you this spell.”, Draco said, grinning. “Father taught it to me as a gift for doing well in my O.W.Ls last year. I’ve been practicing over the vacation. Father said this is such advanced magic, that even final-year students are not taught these kinds of spells.”

“Yeah, you already told me, Draco.”, Blaise said irritably. “ _Over a hundred times.”_

“ _Just imagine._ . .”, Draco went on, ignoring his friend’s complaints, “Just think of the pranks we can pull with this concealment spell. We can hide Potter’s wand and enjoy watching him look all over the place for it, all the while knowing that he can only get it back when we decide to let him off the hook.”

Blaise sighed in exasperation.

“Come sit.”, Draco said, flopping down on his bed. Blaise sat across from him.

Draco placed a Chocolate Frog card on the bed in front of them. It bore of a picture of the Greatest Wizard of All Times — _Merlin._

Draco took his wand, said a few strange words in some ancient tongue, and immediately the card disappeared. Blasie gasped.

“You _actually_ did it!’, he whipered.

Draco smirked at him smugly. “Now time for the counterspell. . .”, he muttered, and then said another incantation.

The two boys heard the familiar whoosh of magic, and the card reappeared.

_But the same sound also came from under the bed._

“Did you hear that?”, Draco asked curiously and bent down to look under his bed.

He resurfaced with a book in his hand.

“What’s that?”, Blaise aked.

“Someone’s diary. . .”, Draco said, turning the book around and inspecting it. “They must’ve put a concealment spell on it, and then probably left it here. Since no one in our school knows the counterspell, I guess it stayed hidden over the years. . .”

He opened the book. And immediately gasped.

“ _Blaise_. . .”, he said in shock, and showed his friend the name on the first page:

**_Merlin_ **

Blaise’s eyes grew wide. “ _Is that. ._ .”

“ _Yes!”_ , Draco said in glee. “Look at the date. This book is several _centuries_ old! _It must have belonged to the great Merlin himself!_ Remember the time we read about Merlin having owned a special, mysterious book that had been lost all these years? _This must be it!”_

“Well, in that case, we must hand it over to Dumbledore.”, Blaise said. “This is a priceless heirloom!”

“Well, I discovered it, so I’m keeping it.”, Draco said, smiling maliciously. “ _God_ , look at all these spells. They seem to be very high-level enchantments and jinxes. . . I’m gonna have fun with this thing.”

A particular page caught his attention. “ _'Arthur is our King'. ._ . What’s this? Looks like a song about Quidditch.”

He read the lyrics, and a plan formed in his head. An evil smile spread across his pale face.

“Blaise. . .”, he said, grinning. “Remember how Weasley has been being _unfairly_ good at Quidditch this year?", he asked, " _Remember how we were wondering how to bring him down a notch?”_

“Yeah. . .”

_“Well, I think this song just gave me an idea about an excellent way to go about it!”_


	19. Back on Track

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin is called to Salazar Slytherin's office.

“Merlin.”

The warlock stopped in the corridor and turned at the mention of his name.

“Master Slytherin wants you in his office.”, a Prefect said.

Brow furrowed and heart racing, Merlin headed to the founder’s chambers.

* * *

“Come in.”, he heard when he knocked on the door.

Merlin went in, stood before the man behind the desk and waited silently with his head bowed for further instructions. Their last meeting not having been very pleasant, Merlin didn’t know exactly how to react to being summoned out of the blue. 

It had been months since Salazar said that he would no longer mentor Merlin. Why call for him now, when they had no business together? _Had Merlin done something wrong?_

“Sit down.”

Merlin obeyed.

There was stone-cold silence in the room for several minutes. Eventually, Merlin became impatient, and lifted his gaze from the clasped hands on his lap to Salazar’s face. 

“I used to think, Merlin,”, the old man began in a low voice, “that emotion has no place on the path to power.”

Merlin waited for him to elaborate.

“That to wield power, meant to be unanchored to sentiments that drag you down. I used to think, that to be great, _you must be ruthless.”_

Merlin swallowed thickly. _Where was he going with this?_

“I’ve never admitted to be wrong, Merlin. Because I never am. _Except this once._

“With proper training, anyone can wield power. But to know when, and when _not_ to use that power, is not something that everyone understands. We must know the difference between friend and foe. We must understand who is standing against us, and who is standing _by our side_.

“Power is not something that should be used to oppress. Power is something that should be used to _protect_.

“That day, when you refused to use your magic on Pendragon just to assert your dominance, it showed that you are worthy of the gift you are blessed with. You have proven that one day, even if you become the greatest sorcerer in the world, _your heart and mind will remain just and fair.”_

“And that’s why, Merlin,”, Salazar said with finality, “ _I stand corrected.”_

“Sir?”, Merlin asked uncertainly, holding his breath.

Something surprisingly close to a _smile_ tugged at the founder's lips.

_“I suppose you will be on time for our training session tomorrow?”_

Merlin beamed.

The young wizard felt proud at having taught something to _Salazar Slytherin_ himself, and confident in being back on track.

“Yes, sir.”, Merlin said firmly. “ _I will_.”


	20. Back Here Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the beginning of yet another year at Hogwarts.

Merlin sighed, leaning back comfortably in his seat as the train picked up speed.

His second year at Hogwarts had been one hell of a ride. But it had ended well for all of them. Merlin was being mentored by Salazar Slytherin again, back on his journey to greatness. Arthur had won the Quidditch Cup. Everything had gone well.

Now as Merlin sat in the Hogwart’s express, rushing towards a new academic year, _he couldn’t help wondering what his destiny had in store for him for the next twelve months._


	21. "Expecto Patronum!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Did you know that your patronus takes the form of an animal that best represents the person you love?_
> 
> "Nymphadora Tonks' Patronus changed from its previous form to that of a four-legged creature which others guessed was a werewolf, because then it would reflect her love of Remus Lupin, himself a werewolf. Another example is Severus Snape, whose Patronus was that of a doe, the same as Lily Evans, as Snape was in love with Lily for most of his life."  
> —Harry Potter Wiki
> 
> So when Merlin conjures his patronus, _he learns something about himself._

This year, the Slytherins had DADA with the Gryffindors. 

“I can’t wait to see what my patronus is going to be.”, Merlin said, hardly able to contain his smile, as he walked into the classroom with Gwaine. 

He had always been fascinated by the idea of creating somehing so beautiful, _so ethereal,_ just by the flick of a wand and a few uttered words. 

“Neither can I!", Gwaine said, grinning. “Did you know that the form your patronus takes reflects the person your heart yearns for?”

“ _What, now?_ ”, Merlin asked, his brow furrowing. He most certainly _didn’t_ know that.

“Yup.”, Gwaine said. _(with a smug smirk at having known something that Merlin didn’t.)_ “If you are in love with someone, or even simply fancy them, your patronus is likely to take the form of an animal that best represents that person.”

“Hmm. . . I’ve never heard that one before. Are you sure you didn’t just make it up?”, Merlin asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

Gwaine rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to reply, but that’s when Professor Agravaine entered, and the chatter of the students stopped at once.

“As I mentioned earlier, you're going to be practicing the Patronus Charm today.”, he announced, not even bothering to wish the class. _(Nothing new there. . .)_

“This spell is highly advanced magic.”, he went on, “We usually don’t teach this to students as young as yourselves, but Headmaster Gaius reckoned that it would be a useful defence spell for you to know. So you don’t have to cry and make a scene if you’re unable to conjure your patronus. In fact, I can’t imagine more than a handful of you succeeding.” At that, Agravaine grinned at Merlin, as if he was sure that the boy would be one of the aforementioned students. 

Merlin’s face remained impassive. He never really liked the teacher much, due to his small-minded attitude and bigoted behaviour towards Merlin’s half-blood and muggle-born friends.

Looking slightly offended but also indifferent at the same time, Agravaine turned back to the other students and articulated the incantation. Then he demonstrated the wand-movement.

“Now comes the tricky part.”, he said. “Just saying the spell with the correct hand-gesture won’t make your patronus magically materialize. You need to think of something. _Something that brings you immense joy_. Your happiest memory. Only if you can concentrate that radiance into the spell, will you be able to give life to your patronus. If your memory is not joyful enough, you will only manage a non-corporeal patronus, which is no different from a wisp of white mist. If you want to conjure a real, corporeal patronus, that can protect you from evil creatures such as a dementor or a dorocha, your memory really needs to be a powerful one. That being said, you can start practicing.”

And just like that, the silence broke and several voices saying _"Expectro Patronum!"_ was heard in the room.

Merlin turned to Gwaine, who was trying to pronounce the incantation right.

“What memory are you thinking about?”, Merlin asked.

“It was during the second-year vacation.”, Gwaine said without missing a beat. “There was a plague back home. All the crops were dying. My parents were devastated. They thought there was no hope. _Until I cured everything with my magic_.”. Gwaine smiled, eyes going out of focus for a second. “My dad was _so_ proud. The whole family celebrated for days.”, he looked at Merlin, genuinely looking the happiest he had seen his friend look. “Yup! I guess that’s my happiest memory.”

“Sounds lovely.”, Merlin smiled and clapped Gwaine on the shoulder. Then he turned his attention back to his own spell. _What was his happiest memory?_

Was it the day he got his Hogwarts letter? Was it the day he arrived at Hogwarts? Was it something that happened in these two years?

Merlin's train of thought was interrupted by a shoulder bumping into his. He turned, and his face immediately split into a smile when he saw Arthur. 

“Decided on your memory yet?”, the Prince asked. 

“Nope. You?”

“Me neither. It’s too much pressure, don’t you think? Choosing a single memory and labeling it as the ‘ _happiest_ ’?”

“ _Exactly!”_ , Merlin said, nodding. “You took the words right out of my mouth."

Arthur grinned and went back to practicing the spell, probably with a different memory each time.

As the minutes passed, Merlin began to get a little nervous. _He couldn’t come up with anything_.

And then he remebered.

_The day he first realized he had magic._

Even though the specifics of the incident were hazy, _the incident itself remained etched in his mind. . ._

_Merlin was three years old. He was in the field outside his mother's hut in Ealdor, playing with his toys. The sky looked murky, dark clouds blocking out the sun._

_And just like that, it had started raining. First, a drizzle, and then it poured down in earnest. Merlin stretched out his little hands from where he was sitting on the ground. His mother had told him never to get wet in the rain. That he would get sick if he did._

_But it felt so nice to feel the rain on his body. So Merlin stayed._

_It had hardly been three minutes, before he started shivering in the cold. He felt a tickle in his nose, and screwed his eyes shut as he sneezed loudly._

_Wiping his nose with the back of his hand, Merlin opened his eyes. And gasped._

_The raindrops had frozen in the air. Each drop stood still in its spot. It looked like a moment captured in time; as if the Earth itself had stopped spinning._

_Merlin looked around in awe at the drops of water hanging in the air around him. He touched one drop, and felt a rush of warmth run past the tips of his fingers, up his arms and throughout his body. It had felt almost like. . . magic._

_“Merlin!”, he heard his mother’s chiding voice shout to him from inside the hut. Her approaching footsteps grew louder. “What have I told you about—”_

_Her words stopped abruptly and her eyes went wide, as she noticed the unworldly scene in front of her. She drank in the sight of her frozen surroundings._

_Slowly, the shock turned into something that was a mixture of pride and joy. Happy tears glistened in her eyes._

_“I didn’t expect you to start showing signs this early.”, she said with a fond smile. “But I should have seen it coming. After all, I always knew you were special.”_

That was it. That was Merlin's happiest memory.

Recalling his mother’s smile and the exhilarating joy he had felt that day, Merlin raised his wand. 

_“Expecto Pantronum!”_

The very next second, a thick wisp of white smoke shot out of his wand and rapidly materialized into something. _Something huge_. It was bigger than Merlin himself.

It took a few moments for the class to stop practicing and notice. They all watched with wide eyes. Merlin felt Arthur’s hand grab his shoulder and squeeze.

“Well done, Merlin!”, he heard Agravaine say, but be didn't bother replying.

As the seconds passed, the details of the animal began getting clearer and clearer. _Two gigantic wings. . . Four legs with sharp claws . . . A long tail with scales. . ._

“Good heavens. . .”, Merlin heard Gwaine say in astonishment as he walked up to him to get a better look. 

_“It’s a bloody dragon, Merlin!”_

* * *

There were five minutes left for the class to end.

Merlin was feeling positively harried from all the attention his patronus had brought him. Everyone had surrounded him, some asking him things about his patronus and others just admiring it. 

After Merlin undid the spell, the students eventually lost interest and went back to their own work.

Merlin stood next to Arthur, who had been trying to conjure his own patronus for a long time now. In fact, no one except Merlin had succeeded. 

“Maybe you’re not recalling a strong-enough memory.”, Merlin mused. “What are you thinking about anyway?”

“Winning the Quidditch Cup last year.”, Arthur said, smiling reminiscently. “That was the happiest I’d felt in years. Every single voice in the stadium cheering for me. . . _It felt unworldly_.” He turned to Merlin. “All thanks to you.”

“ _No_ , all thanks to your sheer hard-work and dedication.”, Merlin said, smiling.  


Arthur tried saying the spell again, and this time, Merlin saw the mistake.

“Arthur. It’s not ‘ _Expecto Patronus_ ’. It’s _Patronum_. That must be why it's not working.”

“Oh, alright. My bad.”, Arthur said, and enunciated the right words this time.

A wisp of white smoke much similar to what they’d seen earlier came out of the tip of Arthur’s wand. It quickly took the form of a very small animal. 

“What is that?”, Merlin asked squinting. “An otter? A weasel?”

“I think it’s a stoat.”, Arthur said.

Merlin’s eyes went wide. _A stoat?_

“Now that you mention it,”, Merlin said, “it kinda looks like Aithusa, doesn’t it?”

“Hmm. . .”, Arthur looked closely at the magical being. “I think it looks more like _you_.”, he said with a teasing smile.

Merlin’s head was reeling. He heard Gwaine's voice in his head. . .

_Did you know that the form your patronus takes reflects the person your heart yearns for? If you are in love with someone, or even simply fancy them, your patronus is likely to take the form of an animal that best represents that person._

“Oi!”, Arthur said, waving a hand in front of Merlin’s face. “What are you so surprised about? You really _do_ look like a startled stoat right now.”

Merlin would have made a clever retort if he wasn’t so busy blushing. 

The glowing stoat scurried to Merlin and ran in circles around his legs. When it nuzzled against his feet, he shivered as the magic seeped through his skin.

_Arthur’s patronus was a stoat. The animal that best resembled Merlin._

As the magical creature climbed up to his shoulder and licked his neck, Merlin wondered in disbelief:

_Did Arthur have a crush on him?_

* * *

“Shut up, Gwaine.”, Merlin said, lying facedown in his bed.

“This is huge, Merlin!”, he heard Gwaine say excitedly from the next bed. “The Princess has a crush on you!”

“I asked you to shut up.”

“I always knew there was something about the way he looked at you.”

Merlin groaned and sat up. “Arthur’s a boy, Gwaine.”, he said, rubbing his eyes in exasperation.

“And your point is?”, Gwaine asked nonchalantly.

“How can he have a crush on _another_ _boy_?”

Gwaine threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, Merlin. You have a lot to learn.”

Merlin rolled his eyes.

“And hey! Don’t put all the blame on Arthur!”, Gwaine said, smirking. “ _You like him, too.”_

“Wh— My patronus is a dragon!”, Merlin said.

“Exactly!”

"Well, how is that related to Arhur?"

Gwaine sighed dramatically. “You really are clueless, aren’t you?”, he asked, shaking his head. “Who are we talking about here?”

“Arthur.”, Merlin replied.

“Arthur _who?_ ”, Gwaine asked, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

“Arthur Pendra— _Oh_.”, Merlin said, the realization dawning on him. “Arthur Pen _dragon_.”

“Precisely!”, Gwaine said. “And what is the Family Crest of his kingdom back in Camelot?”

“A. . . _A dragon_.”, Merlin said slowly.

"Yes!", Gwaine said, grinning wide. "Honeslty, it couldn't be more obvious to anyone looking at your patronus that you like Arthur!"

Merlin blinked, everything coming together in his head.

_Apparently, Arthur wasn’t the only one with a crush. . ._


	22. A Glass of Butterbeer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin, Arthur and all their friends visit Hogsmeade during the weekend for the first time.

Merlin craned his neck and peeked over the students in front of him in the line. There were around ten people left.

Professor Mithian was quickly checking the permission form that the students were showing her; the form that would allow them passage on the train to Hogsmeade. 

Merlin had been looking forward to this weekend for months. It was one of the best things about entering third year at Hogwarts.

Gwaine was tapping his foot impatiently behind him. Merlin was glad that at least he was keeping his _mouth_ shut.

“ _So_. . .”, Gwiane said, and Merlin closed his eyes in exasperation. _There goes his peace and quiet!_

“Your first date with your crush, huh?”, Gwaine asked, wiggling his eyebrows when Merlin turned to glare at him.

Gwaine had been going on about the whole _your-patronus-proved-you-like-Arthur_ thing for the past week. Merlin was fed up with all the teasing.

“This isn’t even funny anymore, Gwaine.”, he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Yeah, it’s not funny.”, Gwaine said. “It’s _adorable_.”

“ _And_ ”, Merlin went on as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “I swear to God, if you say something to Arthur about this, _I will break your spine.”_

That hardly deterred Gwaine, and all the way to the steaming scarlet train, he kept talking about it nonstop.

He finally shut up when Arthur joined them in their carriage.

“I’m thoroughly hyped!”, the Prince said, sitting down close to Merlin even though there was a lot of free space on the seat. Merlin couldn’t help blushing when he saw Gwaine smirk at him from the corner of his eyes.

Soon Lance, Gwen, Leon, Percival and Elyan joined them.

It was a short journey, since Hogsmeade was pretty close to Hogwarts. When the train pulled up at the Hogsmeade Station, the students stampeded out in excitement.

“Where are we going first?”, Gwen asked, grinning.

“Wherever you want to go.”, Lance said immediately. “Well, I mean— wherever _everyone_ wants to go.”

Arthur and Merlin looked at each other, with knowing smiles on their faces. Lance was determinedly looking down at his feet.

“How about Zonko’s Joke Shop?”, Leon asked. 

The group nodded, and they set off towards their destination.

* * *

It was a very lively place. Children from the town-side ran around the shop, laughing. Every shelf was stacked with colorful, eye-catching merchandise, all made for the purpose of mischief and for pulling pranks.

Merlin walked around the shop, idly picking up an article now and then. 

Sighing, Merlin realized that _he couldn’t afford most of this stuff._

Merlin was from a village. He grew up on a farm. Ever since his father had died, his mother had to raise him, making money by working like an ox in the field all day. They hardly had enough to afford their necessities. So Merlin always bore in mind that he should never ask for _too much._

Anyway, Merlin wasn’t that interested in any of these items. He would probably use them a maximum of two times before he got bored and tossed them in a corner.

“Find anything you like, Merlin?”

The warlock turned to see Gwen walking towards him.

“Nah. Nothing that I fancy, to be honest.”

The brunette hummed. “Me neither, actually.”

Suddenly a question popped into Merlin’s head. 

“Hey, have you learnt the patronus charm in DADA yet?”, he asked.

“Uh-huh.”, Gwen replied.

“And what was your patronus?” 

“I wasn’t able to conjure it. None of us, except very few could. Oh, Lance was successful. His was a deer.”

Merlin considered this. It was _so_ obvious since the day Merlin met Lancelot and Gwen on the Hogwarts Express, that they fancied each other. So did their _patronus-situation_ mirror Merlin’s? He tried to make the connection. _Gwen_ and a _deer_? Well, in some ways, they did seem similar. _Gentle, graceful, dainty. . ._

Merlin grinned as he felt his suspicions being confirmed.

“ _What?”,_ Gwen asked, beginning to smile herself. 

“Oh, nothing. . . Just thinking about where to go next.”, Merlin muttered, trying to change the subject.

“How about Honeydukes?”, Gwen asked with eager eyes. “I heard they have the _most_ delectable sweets and candies.”

“Why not?”, Merlin smiled, and the two of them went to fetch the others.

* * *

“Are you really going to spend that money on Every-Flavour Beans, Gwaine?”, Elyan asked incredulously.

“Sure as hell.”, came the reply.

“You do realize that half of them are foul-tasting right? You might get a vomit-flavoured one, for all you know.”

“I’m a risk-taker, Elyan.”

The whole gang rolled their eyes.

This shop was not like the previous one. In every direction, _scrumptious-looking_ delicacies were stacked neatly. Merlin felt his mouth watering as his eyes moved from Sherbert Lemons to Rock Cakes to Pumpkin Pasties. He wanted to gobble them _all_ , not even bothering about the stomach-ache that would probably accompany it.

_But he couldn’t do that._ So he settled for a Chocolate Frog, which costed one sickle. It was the cheapest thing in the shop, and yet it seemed _not-so-cheap_ to Merlin. 

Feeling butterflies in his tummy, he paid for the sweet and quickly unwrapped it. He didn’t really care about which card he got, even though many go crazy about these Chocolate Frog cards for some reason. He glanced at it once anyway.

He had gotten Salazar Slytherin.

‘ _Hmm. What are the odds?’_ , Merlin thought, looking down at a small moving picture of his mentor sporting his trademark glare.

Merlin bit into the confection and felt a burst of chocolaty sweetness overwhelm his mouth. He could almost feel his taste buds screaming for more, even before he had swallowed. 

Sighing in absolute pleasure, Merlin decided that this was _totally_ worth it, but also promised himslef not to buy anything for the rest of the day.

* * *

Merlin looked around the pub. The Three Broomsticks was not a dingy, dusty old bar like he had pictured it. It was a cozy, _homely_ place, buzzing with conversation. The atmosphere in the room felt warm and welcoming, with the mild fragrance of cinnamon, pumpkin-spice and something else in the air. 

Something told Merlin that they would be frequenting this pub.

The group found a table large enough for the eight of them. They got one next to the wall, with two long benches on either side of a rectangular table. 

Merlin scooted towards the corner seat next to the wall. Arthur slid in next to him.

“This place is most famous for its Butterbeer.”, Gwaine said.

“They don’t actually serve _alcohol_ , right?”, Percival asked, scrunching up his brow. "We’re all still 13.”

“Of course not alcohol by itself, but they do add around 5% of it.”, Gwiane explained. “That really isn’t going to get us drunk even if we try.”

Lancelot leaned his elbows on the table. “One of the fourth-years told me that Butterbeer tastes like the perfect combination of Butterscotch and soda.”

Merlin just smiled in response, not having tasted _either_ in his life.

When the barmaid came, Arthur said, “Eight Butterbeers, please.”

“Make it seven.”, Merlin said, raising his hand. “I’ll pass.”

“ _What?_ Why?”, Arthur asked.

“I just had a Chocolate Frog and my mouth tastes pretty sweet already.”, Merlin said, trying to make excuses. Apparently it worked, because they all nodded and the barmaid left to bring seven glasses of Butterbeer.

They chatted for a while, talking about professors, classes and Quidditch. Arthur was saying that he couldn't wait for the matches to start this year, when the drinks arrived.

Merlin tried not to let his yearning show, but the tall glasses of smooth richness with the vat of whipped cream on top looked _absolutely_ tantalizing. 

Arthur took a sip from his, and immediately moaned in ecstacy. He had just swallowed before saying, “ _Merlin!_ You’ve _got_ to taste this!”

“It’s fine, Dollophead.”, Merlin said, giving a small smile. 

But the Prince didn't give up. He pushed the glass into Merlin’s hands. 

“Unless you mind that I already took a sip,”, Arthur said, “you must try it.”

“And you don’t mind _me_ sipping from your glass?”, Merlin asked self-consciously.

“I couldn’t care less.”

It was too tempting for Merlin to argue anymore. He raised the glass to his lips and took a small gulp.

Merlin’s eyes closed instinctively. He could feel the strong taste of something sweet and something sharp dancing on his tongue. The scent flooded his nostrils as he dared take another sip.

It was _heavenly_. It was _overwhelming_. It was the most luscious beverage Merlin had ever had the luxury to drink.

He gave back the glass to Arthur very reluctantly. 

“That _does_ taste amazing.”

“Right?”, Arthur asked, grinning. “Wanna order one for you?”

“No thanks.”

Arthur’s eyebrows knitted together. Merlin could feel his eyes on him, _studying him_ , and he quickly looked down. _He didn’t want Arthur to know that he was being stingy._

“Okay.”, the blond finally said. “How about we take one sip each alternatively, until we finish the glass?”

Merlin felt his face heat up with shame _. Arthur knew._ He knew that he couldn’t afford it.

“That’s not necessary, Arthur.”, he said, looking up discreetly to check if his friends were staring at him. But they were all distracted with their own conversations. Merlin felt a little relieved at the privacy.

“I insist, Merlin.”, Arthur said, swigging back the glass and taking a sip. Then he offered it to Merlin.

“Your turn.”

Merlin hesitated. But when Arthur kept holding up the glass to him, Merlin relented and took it. He took a sip.

Until the glass was empty, the two boys kept exchanging it and taking small sips.

It took a while for Merlin to feel comfortable to be drinking something that he wouldn’t be paying for. But only then did he realize _something_ _else_.

It was _way_ too intimate for two friends to share a drink, sipping from the same glass again and again.

_And yet Merlin didn’t really mind._

And what was even more surprising was that _Arthur_ didn’t seem to mind, either. 

They finished the glass before their friends had hardly drunk half of theirs. Well, apparently, two people sharing a drink meant that it would be gone before you know it.

Merlin wiped his mouth and was about to thank Arthur, when the Prince said,

“I’m ordering another.”

“Are you sure you can finish another glass?”, Merlin asked.

“By myself. Not really. _By sharing it with you?_ Yes, I think so.”, Arthur said, grinning.

Merlin wanted to say no. He didn’t want to feel indebted, even though it was just a small thing that didn’t even matter.

But he had _really_ loved the Butterbeer, and he was _damn well_ down for another glass.

“ _Okay_.”, he said shyly.

* * *

As the evening wore on, Arthur’s mannerism grew a bit more relaxed and unrestrained, as he sipped more and more of the drink. He kept throwing back his head and laughing his majestic little laughter for the silliest jokes that their friends cracked. When he turned to look at Merlin, he noticed that Arthur’s pupils were dilated and his cheeks were a slight shade redder than before; an effect of the Butterbeer. 

When Arthur laughed once more, the corners of his eyes crinkling ever-so-lightly, Merlin heard himself say in his head:

_“I definitely have a crush on Arthur Pendragon.”_


	23. Arthur's Secret (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin and the others face their biggest fears in the form of their boggarts.

“Are you nervous?”, Leon asked.

“A little.”, Merlin said, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

Facing one’s bogart was supposedly one of the most difficult things a wizard had to put himself through. It is, after all, _your biggest fear brought to life before your eyes._

Merlin kept repeating the word ‘ _Riddikulus_ ’ in his head so that he wouldn’t mess it up when his chance came.

Professor Agravaine had asked them to think of their funniest memory while fighting their bogart. Doing so would force the creature to transform from their biggest fear to the hilarious thing that they were thinking about.

Merlin chose the memory of Gwaine accidentally casting the ‘ _Avis_ ’ spell on himself and fleeing a flock of angry little birds determined to peck him to death.

Merlin had never laughed so hard in his entire life.

He didn’t realize that he was balling his hands into tight fists until Arthur gently touched his white knuckles. Merlin felt himself relax at the touch.

“ _You okay?”_ , the Prince asked.

“Yeah, I guess. . .”, Merlin said. “Which memory have you chosen?”

“Which do you think?”, Arthur asked, smirking.

 _“Gwaine with the birds?_ ”, Merlin grinned.

_“Gwaine with the birds.”_

“Hey!”, an indignant voice said from behind them. He turned and saw Gwaine pouting at him and Arthur. Merlin couldn’t help laughing.

After several minutes, there were only two people in front of Merlin in the line. He felt restless and fidgety.

The reason for all his tension and nerves was not because he was afraid. It was mostly because Merlin didn’t know what his greatest fear was. So he had no idea what to expect. 

Finally, his turn came and Merlin shakily stepped forward. 

“Ah, Merlin!”, Agravaine said, grinning. "I’m curious about what your greatest fear would be! To be honest, I can’t think of anything someone like you would be afraid of.”

Merlin gave a forced smile.

“Ready?”

“Yes, sir.”

And so the cupboard opened.

Merlin blinked.

There was a tiny spider hanging from the ceiling of the cupboard.

Merlin heard some mocking snickers from the students standing behind him.

 _“He’s scared of spiders?”_ , he heard a girl whisper and giggle from behind him.

But Merlin hardly paid her attention, because _no_ , he was _not_ scared of spiders, or any insect for that matter. He had no idea why his boggart had taken that form.

“Ah. . . That is not so intimidating.”, Agravaine said, his brow furrowing. “But then again, we all are different. There is no need to ridicule someone because of their fears.”, he said, glaring in the direction whence Melrin had heard the giggling.

“So go on then, Merlin.”, the professor said, “Cast the spell.”

Merlin sighed, wondering why his boggart was something he was the _least_ affected by. 

“ _Riddikulus!”,_ Merlin said, recalling his funny memory.

Nothing happened.

“ _Riddikulus!”_ , he repeated, concentrating harder this time.

The spider was still there, hanging from its web, rotating slowly in the wind.

Merlin felt a coldness coil in his stomach.

He would always know if he had make a mistake while casting a spell. His wand would vibrate the wrong way when he did that. But this time, _it felt completely lifeless between his fingertips;_ nothing more than a piece of wood.

“ _Lumos!"_ , Merlin said.

His wand did nothing. No glowing light appeared.

“ _Aguamenti!”_ , Merlin said, panic rising in him.

No jet of water gushed out of his wand.

“ _Expecto Patronum!_ ”, he yelled, eyes wide with terror.

No glowing dragon appeared.

Merlin dropped his wand with a gasp. 

_He had lost his magic._

He took a step back, then another, and stumbled when he lost his balance. Two strong arms caught him firmly; probably Percival's.

Choked, pained noises flowed past Merlin’s lips without his permission. He couldn’t control himself.

_It was too much._

_He had lost his magic._

Noticing his miserable state, the professor slammed the cupboard shut. 

Immediately, Merlin felt a familiar warmth rush through his veins. _The familiar warmth of magic_.

He sunk to the floor in relief.

He felt two people on either side of him. It felt like Arthur and Gwiane, but Merlin wasn’t sure. His head was still spinning.

"It’s alright, Merlin.”, he heard Agravaine say. “It was just the boggart. Fear not. You still have your magic.”

And that was when Merlin realized, that his biggest fear wasn’t the spider.

_His biggest fear was losing his magic._

* * *

“Feeling better?”, the Prince asked, rubbing small circles with his hand on Merlin’s back. Merlin nodded.

There were ten minutes left for the class to end. After Merlin had his little showdown, the professor had asked him to go sit down for a while. Arthur had asked to join him.

“You don’t have to worry about _ever_ losing your magic, Merlin.”, Arthur said softly. “ _It’s impossible_.”

“What if it’s not?”, Merlin asked, sounding so weak that he hated himself for it. “ _What if I do lose my magic?”_

“You can’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Arthur smiled.

 _“Because you’re magic itself_.”, he said warmly. “ _How can you lose what you are?”_

Merlin wanted to say something back. He wanted to say that meeting Arthur was the best thing that had happened to him. He wanted to say that he felt lucky to have Arthur during his weakest moments. He wanted to tell Arthur _thank you_ , but before he could say anything, Professor Agravaine said, "Pendragon. You’re up next.”

With a pat on Merlin’s back, Arthur walked up to where the rest of the class stood in front of the cupboard.

Merlin watched, wondering what someone as brave and courageous as Arthur would fear the most. The cupard would probably be empty.

“Are you ready?”, Agravaine asked. Arthur nodded, and the cupboard opened.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then, two ghost-like forms stepped out of the cupboard.

It was a middle-aged couple. A robust man with blond hair, and a petite woman with wavy brown locks falling down her shoulders. She looked beautiful. Merlin could see her blue eyes shining from where he sat at a distance. The man looked handsome and decent.

They would have looked very kind and endearing, _if it weren’t for the cold expressions on their faces._

Merlin looked at Arthur, and suddenly all the fatigue from his own experience with the boggart disappeared from his mind and body. _Arthur’s face showed an expression of complete and utter horror_. His eyes were so wide that he looked terrified to the bone. His lips were parted, as he stood frozen, rooted to the spot.

Then the spectral man spoke.

“ _You can’t hide it for much longer, Arthur.”_

Merlin heard Arthur whimper, a sound he had never imagined to hear from the Prince. He could see tears welling up in the blond’s ocean blue eyes.

 _“Very soon_ ,”, the woman said, “ _They’ll all know your secret.”_

Merlin turned to look back at Arthur, but he wasn’t there. 

The warlock saw a flash of golden hair disappear behind the classroom door as Arthur ran out at lightning speed.

As soon as Arthur was gone, the ghostly beings vanished.

“Merlin.”, Agravaine said. “Go check if he’s alright!”

Merlin didn’t need telling twice.

He rushed out of the class, with Arthur’s name on his lips.


	24. Arthur's Secret (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur confides in Merlin about something he had kept to himself for thirteen years.

“Arthur!”

Merlin’s footsteps echoed in the empty corridors as he raced after the Prince.

As soon as Merlin turned a corner, someone grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into a vacant classroom.

Merlin watched as Arthur feverishly bolted the door and muttered a spell. Then he turned to Merlin, eyes wide and glistening.

“ _Arthur_. . .”, Merlin began, stepping closer to the blond, but Arthur shook his head frantically.

“ _It’s time_.”, he said, voice tight with emotion. “It’s time I told someone. I can't keep it in anymore, Merlin. I need to get it off my chest. I _need_ to.”

Merlin just stared, at a complete loss of words. Was Arthur talking about whatever secret his boggart had mentioned? How bad could it possibly be, for Arthur to feel so unsettled at the mere mention of it? Who were the ghostlike couple? Were they just humans, who haunted Arthur’s nightmares? Is that why they took the form of ‘ghosts’ when Arthur faced his boggart? Why was Arthur so scared of them? How did they know Arthur’s secret?

Merlin couldn’t _begin_ to guess.

“Merlin.”, the Prince said in a shaky voice. “What I’m about to tell you. . . _You must guard it with your life_. _You can’t tell a single soul.”_

“Of course not.”, Merlin said, taking both of Arthur’s hands in his and squeezing reassuringly.

“Just. . .”, Arthur said, tears beginning to streak down his cheeks. “ _Promise that you won’t hate me.”_

Merlin started feeling alarmed, but he didn’t let it show on his face.

 _“I could never do that._ ”, he said honestly.

For the next few minutes — which stretched out like hours for Merlin — Arthur just stood there, looking the most uncertain and nervous and pained Merlin had ever seen him look. The warlock assumed that he was just bracing himself to talk to Merlin about whatever had remained hidden for _years_ by the looks of it.

As the seconds passed, Arthur’s grip on Merlin’s hands kept tightening, as if he was afraid that Merlin would slip away as soon as the confession had passed the Prince’s lips.

Finally, Arthur took a deep breath, and said,

“ _They are my parents_.”

Merlin blinked. 

“ _What?”_

“The man and the lady", Arthur said, “They are my birth-parents.”

Merlin’s hands ached from Arthur’s iron-grip, but he hardly noticed the pain. The ringing in his ears was drowned by the questions in his head. _How was this possible?_ Arthur was the son of Uther Pendragon, King of Camelot. His mother was Ygraine Pendragon, who died twelve years ago, giving birth to Arthur’s sister. The spectral couple had looked _nothing_ like them.

“What are you saying, Arthur?”, Merlin asked slowly.

Arthur looked like he was about to pass out.

But instead, he said,

“I’m adopted.”

The words hung heavily in the air between them, as Merlin stared at Arthur.

“I’m not a pure-blood, Merlin.”, the Prince said. 

_“I’m a muggle-born.”_


	25. His Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin thought he knew Arthur. 
> 
> _But it turns out, there is an ocean of secrets, pain and tears that Merlin didn't know about his friend._
> 
> _(A chapter from Arthur's Point of View...)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Note: This chapter is from Arthur's point of view**.  
> (I only realized after I finished writing, that Arthur's POV was requested by a reader. @[Lady_of_theStars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_of_theStars/pseuds/Lady_of_theStars), I hope you enjoy this chapter!)

**_13 Years ago, in the Muggle World. . ._ **

The silence of the night was only breached by the woman’s screams.

Inside the small hovel, the air was heavy with tension and anticipation. The howling woman lay on the cot, her teary blue eyes wide and wavy brown hair scattered around her face. Her husband crouched beside her, holding her hand and squeezing it tight. The midwife was repeatedly yelling the word ‘ _Push_ '.

The woman continued to scream in agony, but did as she was told. She pushed and pushed until the pain was overwhelming. Her consciousness began to fade and her vision blurred.

“The head is crowning! _”,_ she heard the midwife exclaim, and that gave her enough strength to keep trying. With a grunt, the woman pushed harder.

It took a few more moments before an infant’s cry filled the room. The lady looked up to see the midwife holding a baby. 

“ _It’s a boy!”_ , she beamed.

The man laughed with happy tears in his eyes as he brought their baby to his wife. 

The woman felt groggy from the exertion and pain, but she still wanted to hold the child. _Her_ child. 

She cradled her son, cooing softly. The baby smiled, and she almost swooned from happiness. 

The man kissed his wife’s temple and said, 

“You should name him.”

The woman felt tears slide down her face, as she whispered, 

_“Arthur.”_

* * *

_**12 years, 11 months ago, in a lone hovel. . .** _

The woman hummed as she prepared dinner. It was a pleasant evening.

Her husband returned from a long day in the field, wiping his sweaty brow. 

His eyes fell on the cradle, and he smiled instinctively. 

“ _Where’s my little boy?_ ”, he asked in a sing-song voice. A soft gurgle came from the cradle. “ _Where must Arthur be?”_

Arthur giggled when he saw his father peek at him from above. “There he is!”

The man picked up his child and beamed. 

“He has your eyes.”, he called out to his wife, smiling.

“You’ve said that over a hundred times.”, she replied fondly, bringing the food and setting it down. 

The man settled on the floor, laying Arthur on his lap. 

“Look at him.”, the woman said, sitting down next to her husband. “He has such a beautiful smile.”

She lightly stroked Arthur’s little feet and the boy giggled. The lady laughed softly, and tickled his tummy. 

_Arthur’s laughter was the most precious thing she had ever heard._

But the mother had been so enraptured by her son’s melodious voice that she hardly noticed the uncanny scene that was unfurling before them.

“ _Honey_. . .”, she heard her husband say, his voice barely audible. She looked up, and gasped. 

_The food was levitating._ The bowl full of rice, the earthen plates and the jug of water were floating in the air before them.

Eyes wide with horror, she looked down at her son. 

_“No. . .”,_ she whispered, as realization dawned on her.

* * *

**_12 years, 10 months ago, at Avalon’s Guardian Home for Children. . ._**

The lady was crying. Tears gushed down her cheeks as she sobbed silently, clutching her baby close to her chest.

_She didn’t want to give him up_. She didn’t want to give up Arthur. 

_But she had to_. 

She saw her husband talking to the head of the orphanage. She had explicitly told him not to mention anything about Arthur’s abnormal abilities.

No one would want to take in a freak.

The woman had never believed in the existence of supernatural forces. But then she saw her own son do things that couldn’t be explained by science.

It had been a month since she first realized that her son had magical powers. Throughout those thirty days, Arthur’s unnatural skills kept manifesting themselves. Soon she and her husband had seen enough to conclude that Arthur was no ordinary child.

_And they didn’t want a child that was not ordinary_. They didn’t want to raise someone whom they didn’t understand.

She rocked her son softly, kissing his forehead. She adjusted the soft towel in which she had carefully swaddled him. The towel that she had knitted herself, with the word ‘ _Arthur_ ’ embroidered in lilac letters. 

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see her husband’s tear-filled eyes. 

“It’s time.”, he said.

Her throat ached from holding back her wails. She looked at her son one last time. He was gazing back at her with those innocent blue eyes. 

He _did_ have her eyes. 

_“Goodbye, Arthur_.”, she whispered.

The baby was handed over to a kind lady, dressed in white. 

As Arthur watched his parents walk away, he didn’t understand what was going on, but he felt the need to memorize their every feature; to paint a portrait of their faces in his mind. 

_Good thing that he did, because he never saw them again._

* * *

**_12 years, 9 months ago, in Camelot. . ._ **

“It has been too long, my dear. It’s high time we did something about it.” Ygraine told her husband.

“I know. . .” Uther muttered.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, just contemplating their situation. _Their plight_.

 _“I want a child, my liege.”_ Ygraine said, with so much longing that it made Uther’s heart ache _. “I want a child more than anything in the world_.”

The King didn’t know what to say. He had been married to his wife for 10 years, and yet they still didn’t have the privilege of having children. 

When they had consulted the Court Physician, the couple came to know that _they could never bear a child._

Not only did this completely devastate them, but it also meant that there would be no heir to the throne.

“I think we should start looking. Surely, there must be at least one child somewhere, without parents, waiting to be adopted.”, Uther said hopefully. 

“I hope so. . .”, Ygraine said. “Then we must start looking as soon as possible.”

Uther nodded, feeling a strong determination set in his mind. 

_He decided not to rest until he found himself a child._

◇◇◇

The next day, the King of Camelot set off by himself to find an orphaned kid. 

He had no luck.

Camelot was a place where children were considered a blessing, and abandoning them was unheard of. Uther had no other choice but to start extending his search outside of Camelot. _To the muggle world._

The first orphanage he came across was called Avalon’s Guardian Home for Children.

Uther spoke to the head of the organization, and was directed to a room down the hall.

When he entered, his heart swelled at the sight of several toddlers running around, playing and laughing. Little boys and girls were chasing each other, and some older ones who seemed to be in their teenage years sat at the table, learning and studying.

In this storm of life and color, Uther felt overwhelmed, unsure of how he was going to select a child. But then something caught his attention.

In the corner of the room sat a lady dressed in white, cradling a baby boy in her arms. He was sleeping. He looked like he was just a few months old. 

Before the King knew it, he was standing in front of the lady. 

_"Who might this little tiger be?”,_ he asked, bending down to touch the child’s soft, golden hair. The boy smiled in his sleep.

The lady in white gave him a tight smile, and then looked down, shaking her head. 

Uther’s brow furrowed. “Is something wrong?”, he asked.

The lady hesitated, before saying in a hushed voice, “No offense, respected sir, but if you’re looking for a child to adopt, _I wouldn’t recommend this one.”_

“And why is that?”, the King asked.

“Well. . .”, the lady said, looking around nervously. “ _He’s not like the others.”_

“How do you mean?”

“He is not an ordinary child.”, she said. “He can do. . . _Things. Unsettling things.”_

“I’m afraid I don’t quite understand. . .”, Uther said slowly.

The lady sighed. 

“Ever since we took in this baby, his behavior has been observed to be. . . _strange_. He has these _abilities_. In his presence, the atmosphere feels different. The objects in the room. . . Well, this is going to sound crazy, _but the objects start levitating sometimes.”_

Uther felt his heart leap. _Levitating things? Strange aura? This could only mean one thing._

This child had magic.

Uther himself was born with magic, and so was his wife. Magic was common in Camelot. But a magical child being born to muggles in the muggle world, was a special occasion.

It didn’t happen often, but when it did _, it often wreaked havoc_. The parents, not understanding the child’s behavior, often give up the child. Which is probably what must have happened to this poor thing. . .

Uther took the boy from the lady, and gently rocked him in his arms. The child babbled softly, still sound asleep.

If Uthur and Ygraine had had a child, he or she would have had magic. As the King looked down at the child in his arms, he felt a kind of _bonding_ to him.

_Maybe this was destiny_. Maybe he had no luck in finding a child in Camelot, _because he was meant to come here and find this boy._

_A son with magic._ He would grow up to be the King of Camelot someday. Uther could see it happening. _He saw a great future in that child_. 

Uther smiled when the child stirred in his arms. When he looked up at he King, he began shaking and crying.

“ _Shhh_.”, Uther said softly. “ _It’okay_.”

The boy eventually stopped crying, and leaned closer to the man, clutching his index finger in his little hand.

_The feeling was indescribable._

The embroidery on the child’s towel caught Uther's eye. In lilac letters was written the word, ‘ _Arthur_ ’.

Smiling down at the boy, Uther said,

_“Welcome to the family, Arthur Pendragon.”_

◇◇◇

Just a few weeks after Arthur was adopted, _Ygraine found that she was pregnant._

The Physician said it was a medical miracle. The couple had been barren, and it was impossible for them to conceive a child. _And yet, here they were, expecting a child in nine months._

Apparently, when Arthur joined their family, he brought hope and fortune along with him.

* * *

_**12 years ago, in Camelot. . .** _

A girl child was born into the Pendragon family. Uther named her _Morgana_. 

It should have been a happy occasion. But it wasn’t. 

Ygraine had died in child-birth.

* * *

_**8 years ago, in the King’s Chambers. . .** _

“Father.”, Arthur said, standing in front of the King. He was a little confused as to why he was summoned past bed-time.

“ _Arthur_.”, his father said, taking both his hands in his own. “What I’m going to tell you, is of _utmost_ importance. You’re five years old now, so I think — _I hope_ that you’re old enough to understand, so here goes.”

Arthur held his breath.

“ _You’re adopted.”,_ the King said.

Arthur remained silent for several minutes, his face showing a maturity that was way beyond his years.

Finally, he said,

_“I know.”_

“You— You do?", the King asked, shocked. "But you were only three months old when we adopted you! How can you possibly remember?”

“I just. . . I just do.”, Arthur said. “I don’t remember who my birth parents were. I don’t remember their names, or how they used to sound. _But their faces. . ."_

Arthur shuddered _._

" _I could never forget their faces.”_

“ _Oh, Arthur. ._ .”, the King said, pulling his son into a tight tug. “ _I’m so sorry.”_

Arthur closed his eyes as tears slid down his cheeks.

“No one can know, Arthur. _No one_. Not even your sister. I will guard this secret with my life, and you must ensure that you don’t tell anyone.”

Arthur nodded.

But even if his father hadn’t told him that, Arthur would never have told anyone his secret. He didn’t think he’d find anyone whom he trusts enough. Someone who is so close to his heart, _that he feels safe enough to tell them who he really was._

* * *

**_6 years ago, in the Prince’s Chambers. . ._ **

“I won!”, Morgana yelled triumphantly.

“ _Please!”,_ Arthur said, rolling his eyes. “You cheated! I saw you using your magic.”

Morgana blew a raspberry at him. She picked up her toys to return to her room and go to bed.

But before she opened the door, a loud clap of thunder made the windows rattle. 

Morgana froze and stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to face her brother. 

“Can I sleep here tonight?”, she asked hesitantly. "I don’t like to sleep alone during a thunderstorm. It. . . gives me nightmares.”

If it had been anyone else, Arthur would have teased them for being a wuss.

_But this was his sister_. If there was anyone who understood her fear of loneliness, _it was Arthur._

“Of course.”, he said.

Both kids climbed into bed and got comfortable.

Just before the Prince drifted off, he heard Morgana say somehing. 

“You’re lucky.”

“What was that?”, he asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

“You got to know our mother.”, she said. “ _I_ didn’t. She died as soon as I was born.”

Arthur felt a heaviness settle in his chest. Something he felt every time he thought about his mother.

“Well. . . She was around only until I turned one. I hardly remember what she was like.”, Arthur said honestly.

Feeling a pang of pain in his heart, he thought to himself,

_'Just like I hardly remember my birth-mother.’_

Morgana hummed.

 _“_ Well _, at least dad likes you better.”,_ she said, with an uncharacteristic coldness staining her tone _._

“ _What?”,_ Arthur asked incredulously.

“Nothing. . .”, Morgana said, turning to face away from him. 

“ _Morgana_. . .”, the Prince began, but she cut him off with a “Goodnight.”

Arthur wanted her to talk to him, to open up. But he decided to let it go. After all, it had been a long day, and he was exhausted.

The Prince let the pattering of rain lull him to sleep.

* * *

_**4 years ago, in Arthur’s head. . .** _

“ _I’m glad my parents gave me up._

_I’m glad I was adopted by Uther Pendragon._

_I’m glad that, this way, I can finally be myself._

_This way, I_ _don’t have to hide my magic._

_This way, I’m no longer a freak, or a monster._

_This way. . . I can finally be happy._

_I’m glad my parents gave me up.”_

* * *

_**3 years ago, in a meadow. . .** _

Arthur loved sitting in the meadow. After a whole day of playing and training, it felt nice to sit back and feel the breeze carress his face.

Arthur closed his eyes and sighed. It was rare for him to feel so relaxed and at peace.

Suddenly, he heard a screech and a flapping noise.   
Startled, Arthur jumped to his feet, his hand instinctively grabbing his sword. 

But it was just a bird. 

Arthur sat down again, shaking his head.

But then the bird drew closer, and he noticed something.

_It was an owl. And it was clutching something in its talons._

Once the owl was right above the Prince, it let go of whatever it was carrying, and it fell on Arthur’s lap.

His heart racing, Arthur looked down. 

_It was an envelope. With a seal on it._

With trembling fingers, he opened it and pulled out a letter. 

On the top of the page, were the words:

‘ _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.’_

* * *

**_2 Years ago, on the Hogwarts Express. . ._ **

It had felt strange to leave Camelot behind. 

It had been difficult to part with his father and Morgana.

But being invited to Hogwarts was quite a big deal, and of course there were sacrifices to make. 

Along with Arthur, two of his friends with magic from Camelot— Leon and Percival — had also been invited to study at Hogwarts. 

Petting his new pet toad, Mordred, Arthur walked back to his compartment. He pulled open the door with a ‘ _whoosh_ '.

Just before he stepped in, he realized that it wasn’t Leon and Percival sitting inside. He had opened the wrong door.

“Oops. Wrong compartment.”, he said, turning to leave. But before he closed the door, his gaze fell on something. 

“Who the hell chooses a stoat for a pet?”, he asked the lanky boy cradling a sleeping stoat.

 _“Who the hell chooses a toad?”_ , the boy retorted.

Arthur scowled. It was a genuine doubt on his part, and the boy was responding pretty rudely. Besides, Arthur had spent a lot of time choosing the perfect pet, and he was not going to let this idiot ridicule his choice. 

“Ugh, _literally everyone?_ Have you even seen the other students? There are more toads on this train than owls.” The Prince said, stroking his toad lovingly. “Although, I’m pretty sure Mordred here, is the best pet of them all.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little meta for a toad to own _another toad?_ ”, the boy asked, smirking.

 _“Did you just call me a toad?_ ”, Arthur growled. _The nerve of this kid!_

“Precisely.”

“Well, you look like a startled stoat yourself!”, Arthur said in a high voice.  
  
The boy immediately closed the stoat's ears with his hands. Arthur rolled his eyes. 

“ _Screw you!”_ , the boy said.

"You can’t address me like that!”, Arthur spat. How dare this boy disrespect the Crown Prince of Camelot?

“Okay, sorry. _Screw you,"_ , he said, and gave a mock-bow, " _my lord.”_

That was it. That was the last straw. 

“ _What’s your name, boy?_ ”

"Merlin.”

"Well, you better watch your back, _Mer_ lin. I'm going to make you regret ever being born.”, Arthur said and slammed the door shut.

As he walked back to his compartment, his mind was filled with questions about that boy, _Merlin_. Who the hell was he? And who did he think he was, talking to a prince like that? Did he know Arthur was a prince in the first place? Well, _how could he not know_? And if he had known, would he still have spoken in that insolent way of his? 

Still thinking about Merlin, Arthur walked into a wrong compartment once again.

* * *

**_2 years ago, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. . ._ **

When Arthur was sorted into Gryffindor, it was his proudest moment.

◇◇◇

It was fun picking on Merlin. 

One day after class, Arthur tried to trip him. Unfortunately, his shaggy-haired friend had caught him before he went tumbling to the floor like the idiot he was.

“Careful there, _Mer_ lin. Don’t want you falling down and breaking your face.”, Arthur teased, smirking. “Well, that wouldn’t make you look any worse than you already do, anyway.”, he muttered, loud enough for the boy to hear.

Merlin sighed. “Come on, Gwaine.”, he muttered and began walking down the corridor. 

If Arthur was being completely honest, _he was disappointed._ He wanted to talk to Merlin; get to know if he really was bold enough to taunt a prince. _Or was he too scared to mess wih Arthur, now that he knew he was royalty?_ That idea made Arthur a little sad, as he had never seen someone as daring as Merlin.

“ _Aw, don’t run away!”,_ Arthur called, hoping that maybe if he provoked the boy enough, he would come back.

Merlin stopped in his tracks.

“ _From you?_ ”, he asked derisively.

“Oh, thank God.”, Arthur said, genuinely relieved that Merlin still had his cheek. “I was beginning to think you were deaf as well as dumb.”

Merlin turned around and walked back to the Prince. “Look. I knew you were an ass. I just didn’t know you're a _royal_ one.”

“ _Oh, Merlin_. . . You’re doing it again.”, Arthur said, enjoying this too much. “Didn’t your mummy teach you how to address royalty?”

“Didn’t yours teach you how to respect fellow students?”

Arthur’s smirk disappeared at the mention of his mother. He scowled, anger bubbling in his chest as he repressed the unpleasant memories that were resurfacing in his mind. _How dare this boy speak ill of his mother?_

Arthur pulled out his wand and yelled, “ _Locomoter Wibbly!”_

In the next three seconds, in a blur of movement and magic, Arthur found his arms bound to his sides by ropes. He blinked, wondering where Merlin had learned magic of that kind.  
  
But before he could do or say anything more, Salazar Slytherin, one of the four founders of the school, had intervened and summoned them both to his office. 

Arthur ended up getting detention with that insolent idiot, Merlin.

Once Arthur was out of the founder’s office, he turned to Merlin.

“ _That was your fault_.”, he growled.

“You fired the first spell!”

“You spoke ill of my mother!” 

“Well, I was right, wasn’t I? She clearly hasn’t taught you how to treat your classmates.”

Arthur felt anger rise in him again, as he stepped closer. “She didn’t get a _chance_ to teach me that,”, he said through gritted teeth, “ _because she’s dead.”_

At that moment, Arthur remembered his birth-mother.

 _Was she alive, or was she dead too?_ Arthur had no way of knowing. 

The Prince’s eyes began filling up with tears at the very thought of his birth-parents. And Arthur hated that. _He hated being so weak._

_“I— I’m so sorry_!”, Merlin babbled, bringing Arthur’attention back to him. “I didn’t—"

 _“See you at detention._ ”, Arthur spat and walked away, not wanting Merlin to see him cry.

◇◇◇

Arthur had to spend the evening, copying notes with Merlin as punishment for throwing around spells in the corridor carelessly.

Arthur wanted to keep the conversation minimal, but Merlin kept apologising for earlier. The blond tried to shut him out, but then the boy mentioned something that caught Arthur’s attention.

“My father is dead, too.”

Arthur stopped writing and looked up at him.

“He was travelling. . .”, Merlin went on. “And while crossing a forest, he. . . He was attacked by bandits. It was very soon after I was born, so. . . I didn’t really get to know him.”

Arthur swallowed thickly, wondering if he was ready to open up a little about his own life. When he looked up at Merlin’s expectant eyes, he decided hat it was safe to talk to him. “I was just a year old when my mother died.”, he said. “She died giving birth to my sister, Morgana.” 

“I’m sorry.”, Merlin said, sounding genuine.

“I’m sorry, too.”, Arthur said quietly. 

The next few moments were filled with silence. Arthur felt a kind of connection to Merlin that he didn’t know how to describe. 

Arthur wasn’t sure if he could trust Merlin completely yet, but after Merlin saved him from a falling chandelier in the next half hour, _Arthur was pretty sure that he could._

◇◇◇

  
In Arthur’s first History of Magic class, the students were made into groups. A few selected leaders chose their teammates. One of them was Merlin, and he had chosen the Prince.

That same class, when Professor Grunhilda had spoken low of muggle-borns, Merlin had given a very bold response as to why all students should be treated as equals, regardless of their blood-status.

Arthur had always felt insecure about his blood-status. He was wearing a fake identity. He was pretending to be a pureblood, when he was actually muggle-born. It had always bothered him, how everyone liked him for his popularity and his royal position. _What would these people think of him if they ever got to about his true self?_

So listening to Merlin speak about how muggle-borns deserve just as much respect as pure-bloods really made Arthur see himself with more self-worth. 

_Arthur felt a new-found respect for Merlin._

He decided to talk to him after class.

◇◇◇

“Merlin!”

Merlin turned just as Arthur caught up to him outside the classroom.

Arthur opened and closed his mouth, unsure if he should say this, but eventually, he said,

“Your little speech was. . . _really admirable_. I haven’t seen many, who are as open-minded as you are.” He gave a small smile. “I’m sure you’ll make a great leader.”

Merlin beamed at him, and the Prince felt his heart flutter for some reason.

“Thanks, Arthur.”

Arthur gave an awkward smile, his cheeks going pink. He had never felt anyhing like what he was feeling at that moment.

He decided to leave before he made a complete fool of himself, but Merlin stopped him.

"Since we all are going to be in the same group, maybe you should introduce your friends to us.”, he said brightly. 

And so Arthur introduced Leon and Percy to Merlin, and got to know his friend, Gwiane. 

“Hey!", Merlin said, his eyes lighting up. “Since we’re headed to lunch anyway, why don’t we all eat together? We can introduce you people to our other two friends in Hufflepuff, too! Only if you don't have other plans, that is. . .”

Arthur smiled. “Sure. The more, the merrier!”

After having lunch with Merlin, Arthur realized that Merlin was a gem of a person.

* * *

One evening, when Arthur was training with his sword in the quidditch pitch, Merlin came and joined him.

At that point, Arthur felt that he was close enough with Merlin to call him his friend.

They made light conversation as Arthur continued his training.

"How did you first realise that you had magic?" Merlin asked.

Arthur's almost dropped his sword.  
  
To be honest, Arthur did not remember how exactly his magic had manifested itself for the first time. But the Prince was sure that whatever had happened that day, was the reason his birth parents gave him up.

It must have been the _most horrific_ thing they had seen, if it had driven them to an orphanage to give up their firstborn.

 _“I would rather not talk about that_.", Arthur said quietly.

"Alright. . . How did your father react when you got your Hogwarts letter?", Merlin asked.

Arthur was glad for the change of topic. He smiled as he told Merlin how happy his father was when he had got his Hogwarts letter.

The Prince didn’t know how their conversation had quickly turned into a childish tickle fight on the grassy ground, but he _did_ know that he had never laughed so happily in his entire life.

* * *

_**1 Year ago, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. . .** _

Arthur couldn’t believe it had already been a year since he started studying at Hogwarts. Well, it must be true, that time flies.

Being in second year meant that he now had the chance to get into the Gryffindor Quidditch team. 

Arthur attended the try-outs. He put his best effort, and had performed pretty well. He was confident that he would be selected. And he _did_ get selected.

But Arthur wasn’t satisfied. 

He noticed hat all those people who got chosen were pure-bloods _. Was that the reason he got selected, too? For is blood-status?_ Once again, Arthur’s insecurities resurfaced.

That night, he vented to Merlin over dinner. 

" _Arthur_.", Merlin had said firmly, "I might not know everything about quidditch, and what you said about the staff being more inclined towards selecting pure-bloods might be true. But if there's one thing that I know for sure, it is that you earned your position. I don't have to watch you play, to know that you must have rocked the try-outs. Even if the quidditch captain had, after all, selected you for your blood-status, then he has ended up choosing the right guy for the wrong reason. So don't you dare doubt yourself for a second, okay?"

Arthur smiled, wondering what he had done to deserve this boy. "I really needed that, Merlin. Thank you."

But then he frowned once more, and added, " _Just. . . one more thing_. You like me for who I am, right? Not becasue of me being a prince, or my popularity, or my blood-status? I mean, I know you, and I know that you of all people wouldn't give importance to such petty things. But. . . I just want to hear you say that. . . _Even if I weren't a pure-blood, you'd still be my freind, right?"_

Arthur didn’t know if he was giving away too much by asking all this. Would Merlin figure out why Arthur was being too self-conscious about his blood-status despite supposedly being a pureblood? _Would Merlin find out that Arthur had a secret_? The Prince hoped not.  
  
So when Merlin smiled, Arthur felt relief flood through him. "Even if you end up being a toad, I'd still be your friend."

Arthur chuckled, blinking back tears. 

" _Thank you, Merlin_."

◇◇◇

When Merlin gave up his lessons with Salazar Slyherin just because he didn’t want to assert his dominance on Arthur by casting the stunning spell on him as instructed by the founder, _the Prince felt more closer to Merlin than he had ever felt with his own family._

◇◇◇

Arthur was excellent at Quiddich. He was a great Keeper, blocking the Quaffle from getting in he loop, every single time.

That is, _until Morgana told him he was worthless, right in the middle of a match._

_Why would she do that?_ Arthur's relationship with her had always been a loving and caring one. The Prince wondered if Morgana’s sudden hatred towards him had somehing to do with what she said all those years ago, on that stormy night.

“ _At least father likes you better.”_

Arthur wanted to talk to her, make things right. But at the moment, his feelings were too hurt to even _think_ of facing Morgana.

On the day of the finals, Arthur was terrified to the bone. Was he going to embarrass himself in front of everyone? Was he going to make his team lose? 

_Was he really worthless?_

Miraculously, Arthur blocked the first serve. 

And that’s when something truly unexpected happened. The audience broke into song.

_A song about him._

In a defeaning chorus, they all sang:

_Arthur is our king,_  
_Arthur is our king,_  
_He doesn’t let the Quaffle in,_  
_Arthur is our king._

_Arthur can save anything,_  
_He never leaves a single ring,_  
_That’s why the students all sing_  
_Arthur is our king!_

That day, Gryfifndor won with a lead of 400 points.

Arthur was on cloud nine, being hoisted upon the shoulders of his proud teammates. Students were cheering and shouting, regardless of their house. Headmaster Gaius announced the winner and declared that Gryffindor had won the House Cup.

As soon as the commotion was over, Arthur rushed to reach Merlin. He found him on the way back to the castle.

“I think some appreciation is in order. . .”, Merlin said, smiling. “Congrats, Dollophead.”

Arthur took a moment, trying to catch his breath from all the running. As soon as he did, he looked at Merlin. “Was that you?”, he asked, “ _The song, the cheering. . . Was all this your doing?”_

“It may have been.”, Merlin said, grinning. _As if it was no big deal._ “It was nothing, really. . . I just—“

Merlin didn’t get to finish the sentence, because Arthur had pulled him into a suffocatingly tight hug.

He just held Merlin there, right in front of several students returning to their dorms. Some of them smiled fondly, others smirked. _Some even wolf-whistled._ But Arhur didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything, _other than the feeling of having Merlin in his arms.._

“ _Thank you,”_ , he whispered.

“ _Always, Arthur_.”, came the reply.

* * *

**_Three months ago, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. . ._ **

Arthur found it a little odd how his patronus was a stoat, and Merlin’s was a dragon. _It seemed like their patronuses resembled each other in some way._

Arthur found it _even_ more strange how Merlin kept blushing around him after that class; especially when Gwiane whispered about something to him with a smirk. (Merlin usually responded to whatever Gwaine was teasing him about, with a glare or an elbow to the rib.)

Arthur wondered what changed between him and Merlin to cause this change in his behaviour. 

But eventually, Arthur got used to it and stopped worrying about it.

◇◇◇

  
“Eight Butterbeers, please.”, Arthur said to the barmaid at The Three Broomsticks.

“Make it seven.”, Merlin said, raising his hand. “I’ll pass.”

“ _What?_ Why?”, Arthur asked.

“I just had a Chocolate Frog and my mouth tastes pretty sweet already.”, Merlin said. Arthur and the others nodded and the barmaid left to bring seven glasses of Butterbeer.

As soon as their drinks arrived, Arthur took a sip from his, and immediately moaned in bliss.

Nothing in Camelot had ever tasted so absolutely delicious, and that was saying something, considering that Arthur was _literally royalty._

He had just swallowed before saying, “Merlin! You’ve got to taste this!”

“It’s fine, Dollophead.”, Merlin said, giving a small smile. 

But Arthur wasn't ready to give up. He pushed the glass into Merlin’s hands. “Unless you mind that I already took a sip, you must try it.”

“And you don’t mind me sipping from your glass?”, Merlin asked, blushing a little. 

( _There it was again! That damned blush of his!)_

“I couldn’t care less.”

Finally, Merlin looked convinced. He raised the glass to his lips and took a small gulp.

Merlin immediately squeezed his eyes shut as a look of pure ecstasy spread on his face. Arthur watched him with a smile, as he relished every sip.

He loved how Merlin expressed every emotion with so much _passion_. The Prince watched his Adam’s Apple bob up and down, as he drank from the glass. The sight was strangely enthralling, and Arthur couldn’t look away.

Soon, Merlin gave back the glass to Arthur rather reluctantly. 

“That _does_ taste amazing.”

“Right?”, Arthur asked, grinning. “Wanna order one for you?”

“No thanks.”

Arthur’s brow furrowed as he watched Merlin look away. Why was Merlin adamantly refusing a glass of Butterbeer even after knowing that he loved how it tatsed?

And then it dawned on Arthur.

 _Merlin couldn’t afford it._  
  
Arthur felt his chest go tight at the thought. _He felt that it was unfair._ Someone as sweet, kind and pure-herted as Merlin, deserved _every single thing_ in the world that he desired. The fact that soemthing as petty as money was standing between Merlin and a small glass of butterbeer, felt unbelievably unfair to Arthur.

“Okay.”, the blond finally said, devising a plan. “How about we take one sip each alternatively, until we finish the glass?”

“That’s not necessary, Arthur”, Merlin said, looking so uncomfortable, that Arthur wanted to pull him into a comforting hug.

“I insist, Merlin.”, Arthur said, swigging back the glass and taking a sip. Then he offered it to Merlin.

After enough persuasion, Merlin agreed, and they shared the glass, and then ordered another and shared that too.

It was a simple thing, just a small token of affection, but doing it for Merlin made Arthur the happiest boy in the world. 

_Making Merlin happy gave him a kind of joy that he didn’t even know he could feel._

* * *

**_Five Minutes Ago, DADA Classroom. . ._ **

“Are you ready?”, Professor Agravaine asked.

Arthur took a deep breath, and nodded. _He was ready. Ready to face his boggart._

It was bound to be something scary. Arthur knew that. After all, that was the whole point. But the Prince was sure that whatever it was, he would be able to handle it.

Apparently, _he was wrong._

The cupboard opened.

For a second, nothing happened.

But then two ghost-like forms stepped out of the cupboard.

Arthur's throat went dry, as his eyes widened.

It was a middle-aged couple. A robust man with blond hair, and a petite woman with wavy brown hair. The woman had blur eyes. _Much too familiar_ blue eyes.

Arthur’s blood ran cold. His face paled.

_He recognized them._

Their faces. _He could never forget those faces._

Then the spectral man spoke.

“ _You can’t hide it for much longer, Arthur.”_

Arthur heard a whimper escape his own lips. He was shaking uncontrollably. Tears blurred his vision, as he watched his worst fear coming true.

“ _Very soon_ ,”, the woman said, “ _They’ll all know your secret.”_

Arthur felt his legs moving, and before he knew it, he was running. He was running at lightning speed, running out of the classroom, _running away from his past._

He couldn’t see clearly. He couldn’t breathe. But he kept running until he reached an empty classroom. 

The very next minute, he heard Merlin’s voice.

Merlin.

 _Merlin_.

He saw him rush into the classroom, looking alarmed.

Arthur quickly pulled him in, bolted the door shut and cast a silencing spell on it to prevent eavesdropping.

He needed to talk to Merlin . He needed to tell him. He could no longer keep it to himslef. _He couldn’t do this alone._

Taking both of Merlin’s hands in his own, Arthur braced himself to spill the truth that he had kept hidden for the past _thirteen years_. 

He squeezed Merlin’s hands so tightly that it hurt. But he didn’t care. Arthur was afraid that if he let go of him, _Merlin would leave him_. And he didn’t want to lose Merlin. _He wouldn’t be able to bear that loss_. 

Finally having found a person whom he trusts enough with his life, Arthur said, 

_“I’m adopted.”_


	26. Tears and Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _A moment of vulnerability, and a word of promise._

When Arthur was done with his story, he was crying and shaking violently. 

Merlin didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t process it. _It was too much._

He couldn’t believe that there was so much about Arthur that he hadn't known until a few minutes ago. He hardly knew his best friend. Arthur had been going through so much. He had been fighting this war in his head _all alone, all along._ Merlin’s heart ached at how painful and traumatic that must have been.

Arthur stepped closer, and stumbled. Merlin caught him by the arms.

Up close, the Prince looked _utterly_ miserable, with his disheveled hair, slightly swollen eyes, red nose and wet cheeks.

If Arthur thought that Merlin hated him, now that he knew his secret, his true identity, _then Arthur couldn't be more wrong._

Merlin still saw Arthur as he always had, if not in a better light for all the sacrifices he had made. 

“ _Please, Merlin_.”, he begged, his hands fisting in the front of Merlin’s uniform-robe. “ _Please_.”

Merlin didn’t know what Arthur was asking. ‘ _Please forgive me for not telling you’? ‘Please don’t tell anyone’? ‘Please don’t leave me’?_

Merlin hugged Arthur tightly and held him close. 

“Okay.”, he whispered, hoping it would answer everything Arthur could possibly ask of him. “ _Okay_.”


	27. The Wooden Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin hears a familiar voice calling his name in his sleep, and follows it.
> 
> It leads him to an old acquaintance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Note:** This chapter foreshadows an important incident that would take place in Year Five.
> 
> In the comments, express your ideas as to what you think the incident might be! I can't confirm or deny any theories, (to avoid spoilers) so I won't be replying to the comments. But you can share your views with the other readers!

_"Merlin. . ."_

Merlin tossed and turned in his bed.

_“Merlin. . .”_

His eyes snapped open. 

_“Merlin. . .”_

He sat up in bed, looking around wildly, trying to figure out the source of the raspy, gravelly voice calling his name.

The dorm room was completely silent, save for the distant chiping of a cricket. Moonlight drifted in through the window. Merlin squinted, trying to find someone creeping about in the darkness. 

Just when he was sure that he must have imagined the voice, he heard it again.

_“Merlin. . .”_

The voice sounded way too familiar to be a stranger’s. The dramatic dragging of the syllables, the deepness of the voice, the hoarseness. . . _He had definitely heard this voice before._

Merlin’s eyes went wide as he realized:

_It was the Sorting Hat._

* * *

Merlin’s heart raced as he tip-toed to the Headmaster’s office.

It was around two hours past midnight, so Headmaster Gaius wouldn’t be in his office. But Merlin still felt extremely nervous as he climbed up the winding staircase. 

For a brief second, he experienced a sense of _déjà vu_ from the first time he sneaked into Gaius' office in the dead of the night back in first year, on the day he was Sorted into Slytherin. That was the day the Hat told him about his prophecy.

Carefully entering and closing the door behind him, Merlin turned to the shelf where the Hat was sitting.

 _“Ah, Merlin_. You’re here.”, it croaked. 

“How did you do that?”, Merlin asked. “How did you get into my head? How was I able to hear you calling my name despite being so far away from you?”

The Hat sighed. “Let’s just say that you and I have a connection.”

“ _No_. Let’s say more.”, Merlin said, stepping closer to the shelf. “Tell me how you did it.”

“ _’How'_ isn’t the question you should be asking, Merlin. It is _‘why’_ that should be bothered about.”

Merlin rolled his eyes. “Fine. _Why_ did you call me?”

“I needed to give you soemthing."

“Give me _what?_ ”

The Hat paused before asking, “I assume the Young Pendragon has already told you?”

“Can you please be more specific?”, Merlin asked in annoyance. “ _Told me what?_ ”

“Oh, you know what, Merlin. . .”, the Hat chuckled. “ _Arthur’s secret.”_

Merlin gasped.  
“How. . . How can you possibly know about that?”

“I know many things, Young Warlock.”

Merlin swallowed. “Well, what about it?”

He felt that there was a good chance the Hat was just bluffing, trying to fool him into blabbering Arthur’s secret. Well, that wouldn’t work on Merlin. He had sworn to the Prince that he would take it to the grave.

“One day, Merlin,”, the Hat said, “ _there will come a time of need_. A time when your actions will greatly affect Arthur’s future. And when the time comes, you will need something to make that crucial day happen.”

“You’re talking in riddles.", Merlin said. “If you’re not going to be straightforward, why bother calling me to talk? I don’t understand a word of your prophecies anyway. At least not until what you predicted has already happened.”

“You don’t have to understand it now.”, the Hat said. “But you will, two years hence.”

“ _Two years?_ ”, Merlin asked incredulously.

“As I was saying,”, it went on, ignoring Merlin’s question. “You will need an object to make things happen the way they are supposed to. I’ve called you here tonight to give you that object.”

“What is it?”, Merlin aksed, looking around.

“It is on the fifth row of the Headmaster’s bookshelf.”

Merlin tentatively walked to said bookshelf, and peered at the fifth row. Instead of books and tomes, there was a big wooden box. Merlin cautiously picked it up and opened the lid.

Pendants. There was several golden pendants inside, each one looking exactly the same as the rest.

“That’s very generous of you, but I’m not a crossdresser.”, Merlin said flatly.

The Hat laughed. “Those are not just pieces of jewellery, Merlin. Look closer.”

The warlock took out one of the pendants and examined it. There were two concentric rings of gold, with a tiny hourglass fitted in the centre. 

“That, Merlin,”, the Hat said, “ _is a time-turner.”_

_“A what?”_

“It helps you travel back in time. But only by a few hours, at most. You must use it only when you absolutely need to.”

“I don’t understand. . .”, Merlin said, shaking his head. “Why would I ever need to travel back in time?”

“As I said earlier, you will have to wait a couple of years to find out.”

Merlin sighed. He looked down at the pendant. “These pendants are clearly Headmaster Gaius', and are of great importance from the way you describe them. How can I just take one from his collection. That would be stealing.”

“Do you really think he would notice if one out of a hundred goes missing?”, the Hat asked.

“I don’t want to risk it.”, Merlin said, drawing his lips in a tight line. 

“Trust me on this, Merlin.”, the Hat said. “If you don’t take it now, you will repent when _the day_ comes.”

Merlin twirled the shiny adornment between his fingers. He was torn between putting it back in the wooden box and rushing back to his dorm, and slipping it under his clock and taking it back with him. 

He sighed. If this was going to have an impact on Arthur’s future, and especially if it had something to do with his secret, _then Merlin didn’t really have a say in it, did he?_

He slipped the pendant in his pocket.

“You’ve made the right decision.”, the Hat said. _“Good luck.”_

* * *

Merlin safely stashed the pendant safely in the secret compartment in the floor under his bed, along with his diary. After casting the concealment spell, Merlin went to bed with several questions swarming around in his head.

Eventually, he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (If you want to know exactly what a time-turner looks like, take a look [here](https://images.app.goo.gl/wzF4ssjxknm4PLRY6))


	28. But Then Again, That's Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin looks back at his third year and the changes it had brought about.

The months flew by, and before he knew it, Merlin was at the end of his third year at Hogwarts.

On the Hogwarts Express, during the journey back home, Merlin mulled over the events of the year and about how _much_ difference twelve months can make in one’s life.

Merlin had realized that he liked Arthur as more than just a friend. He had come to know that the Prince had a painful past, which he never knew about. He got closer to Arthur than he had ever been before, when Arthur confided in him, trusting him with a secret that could change his entire life if revealed. 

Sighing, Merlin wondered when things had gotten so complicated. Secrets, _secret crushes_ , extra classes, heavy training to lead him to his destiny. . . . _When did all that happen?_ It felt as though just yesterday, he had hopped onto the train, marking the beginning of the most magical period of his life; when he met Gwen and Lance in his compartment, and crossed paths with a certain _pratty Prince,_ who ended up being his best friend. It felt as though just yesterday, life was only about having fun, learning simple spells and laughing with friends.

Merlin heard Elyan, Gwaine and Leon laugh at some joke in the seat across from him, and smiled. _Well, at least the last part was still true. . ._

But then again, Merlin figured, _that’s the whole point, isn’t it?_ We face hardships, and we overcome them, growing stronger in the process. We shed tears, but at least we have shoulders to cry on. We fall down, but we always stand up taller. Life gets complicated, _but that doesn’t make it any less wonderful._

As the train pulled up at King’s Cross, Merlin no longer felt subdued and intimidated by the year ahead. In fact, he was excited to face the new challenges it was waiting to throw at him.

_And he was damn right to be excited, because it was going to be a glorious year!_


	29. The Triwizard Tournament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of Merlin's fourth year at Hogwarts brings a surprise with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( **Note:** The rule about only students above 17 years of age being abe to participate in the Tournament was enforced many, _many_ years later because of the increasing death toll. The Triwaizard Tournament has been a tradition for more than 700 years, and Merlin's time period takes place in the first few years, when there weren't any deaths caused by the Tournament. So students of any age could participate back then.)

“ _Welcome to all our new students, and welcome back to our old ones!”,_ Headmaster Gaius announced to the Great Hall cheerfully. “Today marks the beginning of yet another magical year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

Merlin turned and grinned at Gwaine. His excitement was mirrored in his friend’s eyes. 

“However, there is something a little different — or rather _special_ — about this year.”, Gaius went on. _“_ This year, _our school will be hosting the legendary event of the Triwizard Tournament.”_

Whispers broke out among the students. When the Headmaster cleared his throat loudly, silence fell again.

“The Triwizard Tournament is a magical contest held every five years between the three largest European Schools of Magic— Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The schools take turns in hosting the Tournament. This year, I’m glad to say that we have been granted that privilege.

“This is a contest that tests a wizard's or witch’s magical skills, courage and resilience. Of course, it also brings together the students of the three schools, to mingle and make friends. Their traditions and practices might be different from ours, and what could possibly be better than learning a new culture? Perhaps that is the best part about the Tournament. . . The blossoming of new friendships and the exposure to the way of life in wizarding schools beyond our own!

“Now, there are certain rules to enter and participate in this Tournament. Students who are willing to take part can all write their names along with the name of their school, and drop it into—“, he picked up a huge, ornate cup. “ _this_.”

Merlin stared at the vessel in awe. The gold shined and the gems sparkled in the Headmaster’s hands. 

“This is the _Goblet of Fire_. It is a magical cup that is capable of choosing a single worthy candidate from each school; the student who will be taking part in the Tournament. So once we have a total of three contestants, the Tournament begins. There are a total of three rounds, spread out over the year, each one increasingly challenging and complex than the previous. The champion wins the Triwizard Cup, a thousand galleons and eternal glory.

“But, before you all line up to drop your names in the Goblet, I must warn you: the Triwizard Tournament is _very_ risky. The three rounds are filled with dangers at every turn. There haven’t been any cases of student deaths so far, but the injuries suffered by some participants are terrifying. So it is advisable that only the students who think they are definitely qualified and mature enough for the Tournament give your name. 

“But more on that later, because our guests might be here any minute now. If you will, I request you all to move out in an orderly fashion to watch the grand arrival of our friends from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.”

And so the students filed out of the Great Hall to watch the arrival of the two schools from the Wooden Bridge above the Great Lake.


	30. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang make quite a first impression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( **Note:** The information given by Gwen about _Veela_ is taken from Harry Potter Wiki and is authentic.)

_“This is so exciting!”,_ Arthur told Merlin on the bridge. 

“Right?”, Merlin smiled, peering into the distance for any signs of arrival of the two schools. 

“So do you think you will give your name for the Tournament?”, Merlin aksed Arthur, knowing that he was the adventurous type. 

“I dunno. . . I might. I’ll write my father tonight, asking for his opinion.”

Merlin hummed.

“What about you?”, the Prince asked.

 _“Me?_ Oh, no!”, Merlin chuckled. “I’m not so much of a daredevil.”

Arthur laughed. “Well, I think you would rock it. You have been training under Master Slytherin for three years, honing your gifted skills and powers. Don’t you think that, by itself, gives you an edge over the other students?”

Merlin opened his mouth to respond, but a defeaning rattle and the neighing of horses made him whip in the direction of the sky. 

A ginormous and majestic carriage drawn by unicorns was speeding towards the castle. _In the air._

_A flying carriage._

“Beauxbatons. . .”, Arthur whispered, lips parted in awe at the striking scene.

That must have been the most dramatic entry Merlin had ever seen.

But that changed in a few seconds, when the noise of a violent splash of water brought the attention of the students to the Great Lake.

Something small that looked like the tip of a mast peeked out of the surface of the Lake. Merlin had to squint to see what it was. But before he knew it, a towering ship rose from below the surface until it was floating on the water, bouncing up and down due to the waves caused by the commotion. 

“And that. . .”, Arthur said, “ _must be Durmstrang_.”

* * *

When all the Hogwarts students were settling down in the Great Hall again, Merlin and his friends had managed to snag seats at the same table instead of sitting with their own housemates. Merlin sat with Gwen on his left and Arthur on his right.

“And now, we will be giving our guests the warmest welcome.", Gaius announced to the Hall. "I expect all of you to show great enthusiasm and excitement while cheering for them, so that they feel at home. Now, students of Hogwarts, _give it up for the lovely ladies of Beuaxbatons!”_

The huge wooden door burst open, and a bevy of beauties came striding in.

Merlin could physically feel the atmosphere around him change, as almost every boy in the Hall sighed in unison. Merlin rolled his eyes.

But he had to admit, that the girls were _extremely_ pretty. They had varying hair colors — from coffee brown to white gold to jet black — but they all had shining locks, tied together in an elegant pony tail. They wore stylish steel blue uniforms and a chic hat of the same color. The outfit looked so perfect on each one of them that it almost seemed like they were born wearing it. Their skin glowed softly, and their lips were ballerina pink. As soon as they entered the Great Hall, the scent of roses flooded the room. Nothing too overwhelmong; _just the right amount._

The French ladies walked in perfect formation, with confident steps, their heels clicking on the stone floor.

Suddenly, they halted, and turned to the table on their right. They flourished their arms and did a kind of curtsy, smiling and sighing in an overly sugarsweet manner. They resumed walking, and after a few steps, repeated the action at the table to their left. Once they had walked to the front of the Hall, they did one final curtsy with the loudest sigh so far, and this time, glowing blue butterflies appeared out of thin air and then disappeared into sparkles.

They did a little ballet performance for the school to see, and then bowed down. The audience broke into tumultuous applause. Merlin noticed that most boys gave a standing ovation.

“And,”, Gaius said, gesturing towards the door. “Their headmistress, Lady Catrina!”

Turning to the door, Merlin saw a tall woman, dressed in ostentatious clothes walk in with the proudest look on her face. 

Headmaster Gaius kissed her hand and guided her to her seat. The Beauxbatons girls made their way to their assigned places to sit.

“What’s with all the dramatic sighing and hand flourishing and butterflies?”, Merlin whispered to Gwen.

“Don’t you know?”, she asked. “Many of the Beauxbatons students are half or quarter _Veela_. It’s second nature for them to act that way.”

“What’s a Veela?”, Merlin asked. 

“Veela are semi-human, semi-magical creatures.”, Gwen said. “They are reminiscent of the Sirens of Greek mythology. They look like young, beautiful women. Their looks, and especially their dance, are magically seductive to almost all male beings, which makes them do weird things just to get closer to them.”

“Hey, I think I’ve heard of their kind.”, Arthur chimed in. “Back in Camelot, they’re called _Lamia_.”

“Yes, in different cultures, they go by different names.”, Gwen said, nodding. “Also, Veela are thought to have their own type of magic which does not need a wand. But when they are angry, I’ve heard that they transform into something more like _Harpies_ — their faces turn into cruel-beaked bird heads, long scaly wings burst from their shoulders, and they can launch balls of fire from their hands."

“ _Wow_. . .”, Merlin said, taken aback that something so beautiful could be so lethal. “Then I’ll make sure to stay away from those girls.”

Gwen laughed. “Okay, firstly, the Beauxbatons girls are only _half_ or _quarter_ Veela, so they won’t be able to turn into foul creatures like _actual_ Veela do. Secondly, ‘ _staying away_ ’ is not going to be that easy, Merlin.”

“Why not?”

“Did you not hear what I said about their power of seduction?”, she asked, blushing. “I mean, I know you’re strong-willed and everything, _but you’re only human, Merlin.”_

Merlin looked over at the French girls sitting at their table. They all looked absolutely stunning, yes, but Merlin didn’t feel the _slightest_ bit of attraction towards any of them. 

“Do you feel drawn to them?”, Merlin asked Arthur, nodding towards the girls. “Cause I definitely don’t.”

 _“_ Well. . . A bit, yes. . .”, the Prince admitted, craning his neck to look at them. “But definitely not as much as _those_ two are.”, he added with a smirk, looking across the table. Merlin followed his gaze. 

Lancelot and Elyan had their eyes glued to the ladies. In fact, Elyan was actually _slabbering_. Merlin cringed.

“Well, these two idiots are apparently _way more human_ than me.”, Merlin joked to Gwen. 

She turned to the boys, and immediately her expression hardened. Merlin noticed that she was staring at Lance. Her lips were drawn in a thin line and her eyebrows knitted together.

“ _Yeah, whatever._ . .”, she said, looking down at her plate and picking at a stray pea with her fork. “Those girls aren’t _that_ stunning, anyway.”, she said, but then she sighed and added, “Well, _they are_ , but the boys can’t even look away for a second, and that’s just too — _what?_ Why are you smiling?”, she asked, narrowing her eyes at Merlin.

“Oh, I think you know.”, Merlin said, nudging her with his elbow. 

“What?”, she asked, brow furrowed, “I — I don’t. . . _What?_ ”

Merlin rolled his eyes, chuckling. “ _You like Lance.”_

“ _Merlin! I don’t!”_

“Then why are you blushing?”

“I’m not! I’m—”

Merlin began in a sing-song voice, “ _You have a crush on La—"_

“ _Shut up!_ He’s right here!”, Gwen hissed, burying her face in her hands. 

“So you agree?”, Merlin asked, grinning.

Gwen shook her head, face still in her hands. 

“God, you’re so cute.”, Merlin said, laughing. “Just admit it.”

“ _Fine!”_ , Gwen said, removing her hands and facing Merlin. She bit her lip and said, “Yes. _I really like him. . .”_

“Since when?”, Merlin asked, shuffling closer, lowering his voice enough so that Arthur couldn’t hear. “I wanna hear everything.”

“Well. . . I dunno. . . I guess there was something from the beginning. Since I met him for the first time on the train.”

 _“I knew it!”,_ Merlin almost yelled.

“You did?” 

“Of course, Gwen! Any sane person could see the way you made eyes at each other.”

“Wh— _Do you mean that he likes me too?”_

“I’m one hundred percent sure.”

“Wow, that’s. . . I didn’t think that was even possible.”, she looked at Merlin with shy eyes. “What does he even see in me?”

“I don’t know exactly what he sees,”, Merlin said, smiling, “but from the way he looks at you, I’m gonna say _the Earth, the moon and the stars combined.”_

Gwen beamed, but before she could reply, the Headmaster spoke up.

“And now, our friends from the North! Please join me in welcoming the proud sons of Durmstrang, and their headmaster, Sir Aredian!”

The doors burst open once again, and three files of boys marched in, loudly thumping the staff that they held in one hand in a steady rhythm. They must be enchanted staffs, because sparks flew every time they striked the ground.

At the forefront was a boy of Merlin's height. His face was serious and determined. He had brown hair that fell into his face, and prominent cheekbones. 

Out of the blue, the boys broke into a run. Once they all reached the front of the Hall, they did a short dance show that looked like it was made with defense moves rather than dance moves. At the end, one of them blew fire from the end of his staff to form a huge fiery Phoenix that everntually dissolved in the air. Once they were done, they bowed.

Approaching footsteps brought Merlin’s attention to the doors once again. 

A man with neatly groomed white hair, a mustache and stubble walked in.

‘ _Aredian_. . .’, Merlin thought. 

The man had a stern expression and he walked with confidence and pride. His had cold and cruel eyes.

 _Merlin didn’t like him in the least_.

The boys from the Durmstrang were directed to their seats. Gaius stood up. 

“Those were _excellent_ performances by both schools! A great beginning to an even greater year! I hope all the students get along and have a memorable experience during the tournament. I will no longer make you children wait. _May the feast begin!”_

* * *

Gwaine plopped into his seat at the table, across from Merlin.

“So?”, Arthur asked him. “How was your talk with the guests?”

“I think they’re all very nice.”, Gwiane said. “The Beauxbatons girls seemed a little arogant, and the Durmstrang guys seemed a little distant and moody, but overall they seemed fine.”

“That’s good. Good to know that we’ll be working with nice people.”, Leon said.

“What else did you ask them? You were talking for quite some time.”, Percival asked, cutting into his turkey. “Wait, let me guess. You were just flirting with them?”

“Well, can you blame me?”, Gwiane asked, smirking. “I mean, _just look at them!”_

“Just to be clear. . .”, Merlin said teasingly. “Are we talking about the girls or the boys?”

“ _Both_.”, Gwaine said, winking. “Oh, and also, I think i know who the champions from each school are going to be. Of course, many of them will be giving their names, but I gathered that only one person from each school is good enough to be selected by the Goblet of Fire.”

“Who’s it gonna be, then?”, Leon asked.

“Well, it’s _that_ guy, from Durmstrang.”, Gwiane said, pointing at the brown-haired boy Merlin had seen at the front of the line earlier. “I think his name is Will.”

“And Beauxbatons?”, Gwen asked. 

“A girl named Vivian.”, Gwaine said. “Oh, there she is!”

Merlin turned and saw a _very_ pretty and elegant girl. She had silky, white gold hair, very fair skin, blue eyes and pink lips. Her eyebrows were raised haughtily at all times.

“Is she half Veela?”, Merlin aksed. “Because she perfectly fits the description.”

“You guessed right.”, Gwiane nodded, mouth full of chicken and mashed potatoes _. (Gwaine was never one for manners.)_

“Hey! Who do you think will be the champion from our school?”, Percy asked.

“It’s really hard to tell. . .”, Merlin said. “There are so many bold, talented and skilled students, so it can be anyone.”

“Yeah.”, Arthur agreed, “ _Although I’d put my money on Merlin.”_

“I’m not even going to give my name, Arthur.”, Merlin said, smiling fondly at the blond.

 _“We’ll see_.”, the Prince said, returning the smile.

“Uh, Guys. . .”, Gwiane said, “do you think we should be concerned about them?”, he asked, pointing at Elyan and Lance who were still gaping in the direction of the Beauxbatons girls. “Their food’s getting cold.”

“Serves them right.”, Gwen said.

The five of them burst out laughing. 


	31. A Cause Worth Fighting For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Merlin is given a chance to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, will he take it up?

Merlin entered Salazar's office. 

The founder looked up from his desk when the warlock enterd.

“You had called for me, Sir?”, Merlin asked humbly.

His mentor nodded, gesturing for him to sit.

“I’m going to ask you something, Merlin.”, he said. “And you can feel free to say no, but doing so would mean wasting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Merlin felt his breath come faster. He didn’t have to hear the words to know what the old man was suggesting.

 _“Do you want to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, Merlin?”,_ Salazar asked. 

Merlin swallowed. _Did he want to participate in the Triwizard Tournament?_

No.

The answer was a simple and straightforward _no_.

Merlin might be more powerful than most students at Hogwarts; but he wasn’t the _death-or-glory_ type. He wanted to use his gift to save people and help those in need. He didn’t feel any interest in using his potential to win some foolishly dangerous tournament. 

“I. . . don’t think so, Sir.”, Merlin said quitely.

Salazar looked at him, his expression inscrutable. Merlin shifted in his seat.

“Alright.”, the founder said, “But before you make your final decision, I want you to know what you’re giving up. I’m sure you must have heard Professor Gaius announce the prize the Triwizard Champion would be getting? _The Triwizard Cup, a thousand galleons and eternal glory.”_

Salazar looked at Merlin expectantly, as if what he just said was bound to change his mind. But the boy's expression hardly changed.

“As enticing as that sounds, sir, I’m not sure those things are worth risking my life for.”

“Are you sure, Merlin?”, The founder asked, leaning forward. “ _Think about your destiny_. You are meant to rise to the top. Maybe, _this is your first step_.”

Merlin considered it. Could this be yet another decision that, if made right, would inevitably lead him to who he was destined to be?

' _No_.' , Merlin decided. This was stupid. Maybe for once, he should make his own decisions, instead of letting fate do it for him.

“I think I’ll pass, Sir.”, Merlin said. “I’m sorry.”

The founder looked at him for a whole minute, before sighing and nodding. 

“If that’s your decision, then I respect it.”

On Merlin’s way out, his mind was filled with questions. 

_What if he had agreed?_

What if, and this was _really_ unlikely, _but what if he ended up winning? What then?_

 _The Triwizard Cup._ . . Immense pride for Slytherin, and for Hogwarts itself.

 _A thousand galleons_. . . He could finally afford everything that he had always yearned for. The chocolate frogs and butterbeer and fancy clothes and whatnot.

And finally, _eternal glory_. . . He would no longer be some random, timid boy. His name would be known by all. Spoken about in envy or admiration or pride.

But none of this appealed to Merlin. He continued walking down the corridor to his dorm.

And then he stopped short. An idea popped into his head.

_A thousand galleons. . . The attention of several people. . . An audience who would look up to him, waiting to hear what the Triwaizard champion had to say._

Merlin smiled, as the perfect plan settled in his mind. He knew _exactly_ what to do if he won.

_This cause, was undoubtedly worth risking his life for._

If he won, he would have the means to take a huge step towards what he had been striving to achieve since his first day at Hogwarts.

With new inspiration and resolve pushing him forward, Merlin turned around and walked back to his mentors office.

He was going to take it up.

_He was going to give his name for the Triwizard Tournament._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (What was the idea, that inspired Merlin enough to make him take part in such a perilous competition? To know that, you're going to have to wait until the end of the Triwizard Tournament!)


	32. The Three Champions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Goblet of Fire names the three champions it has chosen.

  
Merlin sat in his seat, his palms flat on the table. He felt sweat beading down the nape of his neck.

 _“Hey.”,_ Arthur said softly, nudging him with his elbow. “It’s gonna be fine.”

Merlin swallowed thickly and nodded.

It was the day the champions from the three schools would be selected. 

A few days back, Merlin had written his name along with the name of his school on a piece of paper and dropped it into the Goblet of Fire. Over the past week, he had seen several sharp-witted and skilled sixth-years and seventh-years give their names for the tournament. A small part of him prayed that they should get selected. Another part of him hoped that _he_ should.

And at the moment, the two conflicting parts of him were at war inside his head. 

_Had it been a wrong choice to give his name for the Triwizard Tournament?_ Yes, the prize would be worth the risk, but if he _died_ trying, then what’s the point?

Merlin had been expecting Arthur to give his name. If anyone was perfect for the role of Hogwarts Champion, it was the Prince.

But when Arthur sent his father a letter asking him permission to participate, the King responded by clearly listing the several mortal dangers of the competition. He said that Arthur, being the heir to the throne of Camelot, could not afford to put his life at stake for some petty game. His life was way too precious, not only to the King, _but to the entire Kingdom._

After the blond got to know about the risks of the tournament, he was not as enthusiastic about Merlin giving his name, either. Earlier, he had encouraged him to go for it. But after his epiphany, Arthur seemed rather subdued and tensed every time Merlin spoke about participating.

“Students of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang,”, Headmaster Gaius announced to the Great Hall, and Merlin turned in the direction of the podium. His breakfast lay untouched in front of him. He felt quite sick already. 

“The moment the three champions are chosen is finally upon us.”, Gaius said, and waved his hand. The torches on the wall dimmed until they were extinguished. The only light in the hall was emitted by the roaring blaze in the Goblet of Fire.

Huge and mighty, it stood at the forefront of the hall, every pair of eyes glued to it. Brilliant, blue flames danced inside the cup.

Suddenly, the flames flared an angry red, and a strip of paper shot out into the air.

 _The name of the first champion._ . .

The Headmaster caught it deftly and read the word written on it.

_“Prince William of Durmstrang!”_

The Great Hall broke into tumultuous applause and brutish yelling as the boys from Durmstrang cheered for their champion.

Merlin craned his neck from his seat. He saw Will sitting at a table far from his own, with his mates giving him praising claps on the back. The boy sported a smug smile, but bowed humbly to his friends with a silently mouthed ‘ _thank you’._

 _“He’s a prince?”_ , Merlin whispered to Arthur. 

“Apparently. . .”, the blond whispered back.

The Headmaster raised a hand, and the hall fell silent. 

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the cup to name its next choice.

Suddenly, the flames turned red, and another piece of paper shot out.

Gaius read the name out loud.

_“Vivian of Beuaxbatons!”_

Contrary to the boys from Durmstrang, the ladies of Beuaxbatons were very well-behaved, and showed their excitement and appreciation through soft applause. Merlin saw the beautiful blonde girl he had seen the previous week blush and giggle as her friends whispered excitedly to her.

Before he knew it, the flame turned red once again, and Merlin’s breath almost stopped. _This was it._ _It all came down to this moment. . ._

The piece of paper that would determine how his next year at Hogwarts was going to go, came flying out of the flames.

The Headmaster grabbed it and held it level with his face.

“And the Hogwarts Champion,”, Gaius announced.

“ _Merlin Emrys.”_


	33. A Fruitful Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin gets to know Vivian and Will. One meeting goes pretty well; the other doesn't.

The headmasters and headmistress felt the need for Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang to mingle and interact to truly achieve the main purpose of the Triwizard Tournament: getting to know about new cultures, understanding and accommodating differences and making friends.

And so, an event whose sole purpose is to have the students talking with each other was arranged one evening. 

Merlin stood along with the rest of his friends in a corner of the Great Hall. He was all but shaking.

It was important for everyone to mingle and talk, but more so for him, since he was one of the three Champions. It was very essential for him to get to know his two competitors. _Were they nice? Were they rude? Did they play fair? Did they play dirty?_ This was the perfect time to find out.

And yet Merlin was just too nervous to go talk to Will and Vivian. 

“I’ll come with you.”, Arthur offered. Merlin was about to tell the Prince that it was fine, but then he realized that he could use Arthur’s company, and agreed.

They first spotted Vivian in the crowd. She was surrounded by several students. Merlin wasn’t sure if the reason for all the attention she was getting was because of her being a champion or due to the tiny part of her that was a _Veela._

The two boys made their way through the crowded hall and reached the French student.

Arthur cleared his throat, and Vivian whipped around. Her eyes found the Prince first.

Her lips quirked up almost imperceptibly, and her perfectly shaped eyebrows shot up.

“Arthur Pendragon, isn’t it?”, she aksed, her voice confident and melodious. “I’ve heard about you. _The Prince Charming of Hogwarts.”_

From the corner of his eye, Merlin saw Arthur’s cheeks turn red. 

“Well, yes, I’m Arthur.”, he said, and then quickly waved towards Merlin. “And this, as you must already know, is Merlin Emrys.”

Merlin nodded with a polite smile, but Vivian didn’t even glance in his direction. 

_“You are as handsome as they say.”,_ she said to the Prince.

Her eyes didn’t show the slightest bit of shyness or uncertainty or embarrassment at the prospect of flirting so brazenly, right in front of everyone. Merlin admired her guts. 

And maybe even resented it a little. 

Arthur remained silent, opening and closing his mouth, his gaze uneasily shifting between Merlin and the girl.

Before either of the boys could say anything more, Vivian turned to Merlin, and her winning smile turned into a smug smirk. 

“Good luck, Merlin.”, she said scornfully, looking him up and down. “ _You’re gonna need it.”_

When Merlin and Arthur walked back to their friends, the warlock had one and only one thought in his head:

 _Vivian was no friend of his_.

* * *

“I don’t even wanna _try_ to talk to William.”, Merlin said, plopping onto a chair around a table and grabbing a glass of water. “If Vivian is so arrogant, _Will is a bloody prince!_ ”

“Hey!”, Arthur said, punching him in the arm. “ _I’m_ a prince, too.”

“And how did our first meeting go?”, Merlin reminded him, eyebrows raised.

“Does it matter? Look at us now.”, Arthur said, pulling Merlin up as he downed the glass. “Come on, it’s worth a try.”

Merlin sighed and let himself be dragged by his friend to the unruly crowd that was the Durmstrang boys.

They found Will talking to a couple of other boys from his school.

Arthur gently pushed Merlin forward. “I’ll stay right here.”, he said.

“Don’t worry, Dollophead .”, Merlin said, smirking. “I’m sure Will isn’t going to compliment your stunning looks and disarming smile.”

“Vivian said nothing about my smile.”, Arthur said, brow furrowed. 

“ _Oh. . ._ Right.”, Merlin looked away, blushing, as he realized that he had added that bit on his own.

“ _Merlin_.”, Arthur hissed, snapping him out of his reverie and nudging him forward.

Merlin took a deep breath as he approached Will.

“Hey.”, he said, his voice sounding so small that he felt pathetic. 

Will looked at him, and immediately straightened up. 

“ _You’re Merlin._ ”, he said, offering his hand. “I’m Prince William of Ealdor. You can call me Will.”

“You’re— _You’re from Ealdor?”,_ Merlin aksed, eyes wide. It took him a moment to notice that Will was still waiting with his hand raised. Merlin shook it firmly.

“Yes.”, William said. “I grew up there, until I had to move North to study at Durmstrang.”

“ _I’m_ from Ealdor, too!”, Merlin said, grinning. “I can’t believe I haven’t heard of you before.”

Will chuckled, and Merlin immediately felt like he was talking to an old friend. 

_Maybe this evening wasn’t a complete failure. . ._

* * *

“He is the Prince of Ealdor.”, Merlin told Gwiane, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. “How the hell did I not know that?”

“Well. . .”, Gwaine drawled, pulling off his socks and throwing them under his bed. “It did take you two years to realize that a certain _other_ prince has a crush on you. So it’s safe to say that you’re pretty damn oblivious to stuff, Merlin.”

Merlin rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help smiling.

“Oh, speaking of which,”, he said, rolling onto his stomach and looking at Gwiane. “That Vivian. . . The Champion from Beauxbatons. . . She was _definitely_ coming on to Arthur.”

“Ooh. You’ve got competition then.”

“No, but seriously. . .”, Merlin said, “She was flirting with him so openly. In front of everyone.”

“Alright, Merlin. Listen to me. Let’s be honest. Arthur is quite a looker. And he is a prince, to boot. He is the heir to the throne of one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world. Of course girls are going to be after him. If you want him to yourself, _you’re gonna have to tell him that._

"Arthur is _really_ thick-headed. Probably even more oblivious than you are, and that’s saying soemthing. I’m pretty sure he hasn’t even realized that he likes you. So you’re gonna have to tell him. And it has to be soon. Before someone else claims your Prince.”

Merlin felt his heart racing just from listening to all this. _It was too early to tell Arthur._ It was _way_ too early.

“I. . . I don't know, Gwaine. . .”

Gwaine sighed, and sat up on his bed. “Merlin. Trust me _. I know what you’re going through_. I know _exaclty_ how you feel every time a war goes on inside your head, between wanting to tell him and not wanting to risk losing the friendship. I know how difficult it is to fall for someone whom the society doesn’t expect you to fall for _. I know the pain of it.”_

“But how?”, Merlin aksed, eyebrows knitted together. “What do you mean, _you know what I’m going through?_ Are you saying—”

“Let me finish.”, Gwaine cut him off. “Before it’s too late, go for it. _Go for it, Merlin, or you’ll regret it.”_

And before Merlin could ask him anything else, his friend lied down and dismissed the topic with a “ _Goodnight_.”


	34. Of Dragons and Disclosures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin shows Will around the castle. During their converstaion, he learns something quite alarming.

Will was very genial and sweet for someone from Durmstrang. 

He and Merlin walked around the Quidditch Pitch, laughing and chatting. Merlin had offered to show him around Hogwarts. And it was rather perfect timing, too, since the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were training on the Pitch; so Will got to watch the evening routine of their school.

Due to the Triwizard Tournament, all Quidditch matches had been cancelled for that year, but no restrictions were placed against the students playing in their leisure time.

Arthur was on his broom, swiftly darting through the air. When the blond noticed Merlin and Will, he waved with a warm smile. They waved back.

“So what inspired you to take part in the Triwizard Tournament?”, Merlin asked Will, finding a seat in the bleechers. Will sat next to him.

“It’s been my dream since first year, ever since I heard about the Tournament.", Will said. "Some people participate just for the thousand galleon reward or the popularity that comes with winning. But I personally don’t care whether or not I win. It’s more about the experience for me. The journey. _The adventure_. Something to look back at years later and shudder with goosebumps.” He grinned. “I’m one of those. . . _intrepid_ kind of people, you see."

“Sounds like a fun and interesting life.”, Merlin said with a smile. 

“And what about you?”, Will asked.

“Oh, my mentor insisted that I enter the competition. I’ve been his protégé for more than three years now, and I don’t mean to brag, but my skills have gotten quite advanced over time. Besides, I was born with. . . _special powers,_ of sorts. I can do wandless magic.”

“Oh, wow!”, Will exclaimed, eyebrows high. “I’ve only seen professors with that level of progress.”

“Well, at first it was just random outbursts of magic. . . But then, thanks to my mentor, I learnt to control and channel it.”

Will nodded, listening intently to every word. “Can you show me?”, he asked. The hesitation and excitement in his question made Merlin smile.

“Of course.”

The warlock's eyes flashed gold, and an enormous golden dragon, made of nothing but glowing light, appeared out of thin air and circled the two boys. 

Will’s lips parted and his eyes lit up with pronounced admiration.

“That’s. . . _awesome_.”

Even some of the players stopped mid-air to watch. Blushing, Merlin quickly made the magical creature vanish.

Before turning back to Will, Merlin’s gaze fell on Arthur. It might have been a trick of the light, but the Prince seemed to be. . . _scowling_.

“And I see what you did there, by the way”, Will said with a smirk, bringing Merlin’s attention back to him.

“What? What do you mean?”

“You know, with the dragon.”

Merlin just stared uncomprehendingly. 

“The first task.” Will was speaking as though it was something _really_ obvious.

“I don’t. . .”, Merlin muttered, shaking his head.

“You — _You don’t know?”,_ Will asked, eyes wide. “About the first task, and the rumors?”

“No.”, Merlin said. His throat felt dry. _What about the first task of the Triwizard Tournament?_

“Well, rumor has it,", Will explained, " _that for our first task, we will be facing a dragon.”_

Merlin’s stomach dropped like a stone.

“Also, there’s word on the street, that we have to steal its egg to finish the task.” 

Merlin almost fainted.

* * *

Arthur finally flew to the ground and got off his broom, looking exhausted and sweaty. Merlin, who had been waiting to tell him the news, rushed to the Prince.

“Ah, _Mer-_ lin.”, Arthur said, with a strange edge to his voice. “I see that you’re done showing tricks to Prince William.”

“I have something to tell you.”, Merlin said, his head still spinning with his recent revelation. 

“You two are getting along pretty well!”, Arthur said, walking past Merlin, determinedly avoiding his gaze.

“What? William—”

“Saw you both laughing. I’m sure he must be _damn_ funny to get you giggling like—”

 _“I have to face a dragon.”,_ Merlin blurted out. 

Arthur stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. _“What?”_

“For my first task.”, Merlin said quietly. 

“ _Oh, my God._ . .”, Arthur whispered, his horror shown on his face. 

“I’ll explain over dinner.”, Merlin said, staggering towards the castle. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”


	35. The First Task (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day Merlin had been dreading for weeks is finally here.

His hands were sweaty, and his legs were trembling.

 _“I need to sit down.”_ , Merlin told Will, his voice all squeaky. He went and sat on the floor, against the pole that was holding up the tent. 

Outside, he could hear the cheers of students from all three schools; excited spectators, waiting eagerly for the First Task to commence. The floor thrummed beneath him, alive with the energy and spirit of the tournament.

Merlin had never felt so nervous in his entire life. _He was terrified to the bone_. His whole body was shaking, his stomach lurched and he felt like he needed to pee even though he had just used the loo.

“Hey.”, he heard a voice say, and looked up. Will smiled down at him. “You’re gonna rock it.”

Merlin just nodded, afraid that if he opened his mouth, his breakfast would come hurling out.

The Headmaster entered the tent, clutching a drawstring pouch in his hand. 

“Champions, gather around.”

Swallowing hard, Merlin rised and stumbled towards Gaius along with Will and Vivian.

“The first task is going to be extremely dangerous, but the objective is simple: You must collect an egg _._ A golden egg. It is crucial that you bring back the egg with you, as it holds the clue for your next task in the Triwaizard Tournament.”

He paused before mentioning the catch.

“You will be stealing the egg from a dragon.”

Merlin heard Vivian gasp. He would’ve felt guilty for forgetting to tell her earlier, if his mind wasn’t frozen with fear. However, he spared a moment to pray that she makes it out unharmed and safe.

“In this bag,”, Gaius went on, “are the miniature forms of three different kinds of dragons. Each one of you will pick one at random, and the real-life version of the kind of beast that you chose will be waiting for you in the arena. The lady will pick first.”

Vivian took a deep breath, and dipped her hand into the pouch. When she drew it out, there was a tiny creature sitting on it. 

“A _Cockatrice_!”, Gaius said.

Merlin tried to catch a glimpse of the small animal. It had the body of a green dragon, and the head and feet of a rooster. Merlin was guessing that it wouldn’t be able to breathe fire. An advantage for Vivian.

“Prince William.”  


Will took out another, completely different looking dragon, which had a very long body, resembling that of a worm. It had no wings, so it must be incapable of flight. Another perk.

"A _Lindworm_.", Gaius said, and then turned to Merlin. "And finally, _Merlin_." He said his name with more affection in his voice than before.

Merlin slowly inserted his hand into the bag, and drew out the only dragon left. _His only choice._

He hoped for the best, but prepared himself for the worst.

When he pulled out his hand, with it came a little black creature. It had only two legs and a long tail that looked like a snake's. It had two horns, deadly and rasor-sharp. It had bright yellow eyes, and a pair of wings that looked exactly like a bat's. The spikes along its back were so long that it looked unsettlingly odd. The claws and fangs looked vicious. It took Merlin a while to notice the tip of the dragon’s tail. _It had a stinger._ It looked like a scorpion’s, but much more intimidating.

“Ah, a _Wyvern_.”, Gaius said.

Merlin wondered how he could ever tackle a beast with fangs, claws, horns _and_ a stinger, each part capable on its own of killing him in a split second.

* * *

It was Will’s turn first. Merlin had wished him luck in a small voice.   


As soon as the Durmstrang Champion walked out, tumultuous applause and roaring cheers shook the tent.

Merlin paced uncertainly, not knowing what to do, what to think. That’s when the tent flap opened.

Merlin cried out in rellief when he saw Salazar Slytherin.

Salazar had been thoroughly training Merlin for the past few weeks. He had provided him with valuable insight on various types of dragons, their strengths and weaknesses, tricks to fight them and mistakes to avoid.

But Merlin didn't remember ever learning about this particular menace.

“Which one did you pick?”, the founder asked, not wasting time by beating around the bush.

“The _Wyvern_.”

“They are venomous dragons.”, Salazar immediately said. “They can’t breathe fire. But their sting and bite are fatal. They can’t move fast on land, since they have only a pair of feet, but they can fly. Usually, their first instict is not to use their horns or claws, but it’s best to be alert.”

Merlin nodded feverishly. “Any— Any weaknesses I should know about?”

Salazar sighed. 

_“None.”_

* * *

Vivian was out there battling the _Cockatrice_. 

Merlin tried to slow down his breathing, and drank a cup of water. He closed his eyes and tried to relax.

_“Merlin!”_

Merlin’s eyes snapped open, as he whipped around to find the source of the whisper. 

_“I’m here_.”, said the familiar voice, and Merlin followed it to see Arthur peeking into the tent.

Merlin felt a rush of warmth flooding his body, which had turned ice cold at some point. He rushed to meet his friend.

“Am I allowed to come in?”, Arthur asked, looking around.

“I don’t think so.”, Merlin said, but pulled Arthur in by the arm anyway. “I’m _so_ scared, Arthur.”

The Prince just looked at him for a minute, before throwing his arms around him out of the blue. He hugged him so tight that Merlin could hardly breathe.

“Just. . .”, Arthur said, his voice breaking, “ _Just come back to me.”_

Merlin closed his eyes as he replied,

“I’ll try.”

* * *

“And the Champion from Hogwarts,”, the commentator announced outside the tent, _“Merlin Emrys!”_

It was time. 

Merlin tried to swallow, but his throat was parched. 

_It was time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued. . .
> 
> (The details and descriptions about the three dragons have been collected from different mythologies. You can see their images here. [Source: Google and Pinterest]  
>  __  
>  __  
> [Wyvern](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wikia.nocookie.net%2Ffategrandorder%2Fimages%2F7%2F7c%2FWyvernEvil.png%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20190318144442&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Ffategrandorder.fandom.com%2Fwiki%2FWyvern_Evil&tbnid=AGVW-8SgXfLOzM&vet=1&docid=YK-eKPaQtCK9NM&w=970&h=970&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim)
> 
> [Lindworm](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2Fef%2F52%2Fbb%2Fef52bb72e5fb8819dfabafcfc9b6505e.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F53480314307818377%2F&tbnid=FsdrLlf3k5K4jM&vet=1&docid=6rx-TBkBeOv0GM&w=801&h=800&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim)
> 
> [Cockatrice](https://images.app.goo.gl/mHMGeWx1EQLww9KJ6))


	36. The First Task (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin faces the Wyvern.

His confidence rapidly fading, Merlin emerged from the tent.

The audience burst into a furore of cheers and applause. Merlin heard his name being chanted repeatedly, and that somehow boosted his self-esteem to a _very_ small extent.

But it was enough.

He walked to the centre of the arena, and spotted the golden egg that he was supposed to retrieve. 

Merlin searched the skies for any sign of a two-legged black beast, but spotted none.

_It couldn't be that easy, could it?_ But Merlin had to grab any opportunity that presented itself. So he made a run for the egg.

The warlock had hardly taken three steps forward, before a blood-curling screech cut through the air. 

Merlin looked up to see an _utter nightmare_ charging straight at him in the air, its jaws open, its stinger ready to strike.

His wand forgotten in the pocket of his robe in his terror, Merlin decided to make a beeline for the egg by dodging the dragon, and tried to take a step forward. _But he couldn't._

He stood rooted to the spot, frozen in place. He couldn’t move, his fear getting the better of him. The creature drew closer and closer, growing in size until it was only a few feet away from him.

Merlin’s head was reeling, and there was a ringing noise that made his ears feel like they were bleeding. His eyes felt blurry and his knees wobbled as though they were made of jelly. It was all too much to handle. _It was too much._

Helpless as the Wyvern swooped down to stand right in front of him with a vicious snarl, all Merlin could do was lift his right hand in front of him trying to defend himself, screw his eyes shut and scream some unintelligible word that tumbled out of his mouth.

The world fell silent.

 _‘Am I dead?’,_ Merlin wondered. But he didn’t dare open his eyes.

After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, he heard some voices cheering, soon joined by many others. When there was heavy whistling and clapping and whooping all around him, Merlin finally opened his eyes and looked up. 

_He couldn’t believe what he saw._

He must be dreaming. _Was he dreaming?_ This couldn’t possibly be true. . .

The dragon stood in front of him, its head bowed low as if in deep respect, its wings folded close to its body and its tail hanging humbly between its legs. 

Merlin realized his hand was still outstretched, pointing in the direction of its cowering body. 

_What the hell was happening?_

Merlin carefully looked around, trying to fathom whatever miracle had caused this shocking turn of events _._ But all he saw were the proud and astonished faces of his friends and professors.

Merlin gulped, and tried to take a step sideways, half expecting the dragon to snap out of its stupor. But it remained in the same position as Merlin inched towards the golden egg with shaky legs that felt like they were going to give out any minute.

The beast did absolutely nothing, even as Merlin picked up the egg, walked backwards while still facing the Wyvern, and slowly retreated back into the tent.

_The crowd went wild, but the applause and cheers were hardly audible to the boy who had unintentionally tamed a ferocious dragon._


	37. His Legacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Merlin was also known as 'The Prince of Enchanters'."  
> — Harry Potter Wiki
> 
> Merlin learns something about himself that leaves him astonished and confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Note:** An announcement for my readers!
> 
> I'm glad to tell you that there is now a Spanish translation available for The Order of Merlin!! Thank you so much, @[Nova_the_Wallflower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nova_the_Wallflower/pseuds/Nova_the_Wallflower), for helping my fic reach a wider audience! I'm so grateful!

The Slytherin Common Room thrummed with the rhythmic chant _, “Mer-lin! Mer-lin! Mer-lin!”_

Slightly dazed, Merlin listened to the two syllables of his name being repeated so many times, that they didn’t even make sense anymore.

On the stone wall above the fireplace, hung a banner that read:

_Hogwarts Champion, Merlin Emrys!_  
_The Prince of Enchanters!_

Salazar had given him that title, because of the ease with which he had tamed the dragon, as if he had _enchanted_ it.

“ _Louder!”,_ Salazar yelled, chuckling, to the room of students. The cheering grew more intense. 

The founder had one arm around Merlin’s shoulder and the other holding a bottle of ale.

He looked _so_ proud and happy. It was the first time Merlin had ever seen his mentor laughing in a way that wasn’t mocking or condescending.

Merlin sighed, looking around the Common Room, at the students celebrating his victory. He would have joined in, if there weren't a thousand questions eating away his brain.

Patiently, the boy waited for the party to end, so that he could finally speak with Salalzar in private about the strange way the dragon had behaved.

* * *

It was around midnight when the Common Room finally emptied. 

Merlin sat in the seat opposite to where Salazar was sitting, looking too sober and composed for someone who had downed an entire bottle of alcohol.

“Sir.”, Merlin began, after having waited long enough.

“Yes, my boy.”, the mentor said, eyes closed as he leaned back in the armchair. The way the old man addressed him as ‘ _my boy'_ warmed Merlin’s heart. 

“Today. . . When I faced the dragon. . . I don’t quite understand what happened there.”, Merlin said tentatively.

The founder looked at him, his eyes taking a minute to focus. “What do you mean, Merlin?”, he asked a bit groggily. “ _Are you telling me you didn’t know?”_

“Didn’t know what, Sir?”, Merlin asked, wondering in exasperation and slight dread, which secret or rumour or piece of information had stayed hidden from his this time. 

“ _Oh_. . .”, Salazar said, eyebrows rising on his forehead. “ _You really don’t know_.”

Merlin wanted to snap at him in annoyance, but of course he controlled himself, and silently waited for the man to elaborate.

Salazar sighed and leaned forward. 

“ _You’re a Dragonlord, Merlin.”_

“I’m a _what?_ ”

“A dragonlord.”

Merlin didn’t know what to make of it. He didn’t even know what or who a Dragonlord was. And how could he not know about it, if he was one himself?

“I don’t understand, Sir.”

Salazar seemed surprised and a little amused by his obliviousness. 

“It’s your family’s legacy. Dragonlords have the power to tame and control dragons. The beasts obey and listen to them. Your father must have been a Dragonlord. I’m assuming that he’s no more? Because only after a Dragonlord dies, does his power pass on to his child.”

Merlin felt a lump in his throat, and his vision blurred.

_His father was a Dragonlord who could tame dragons? He left behind his powers for Merlin as his legacy? How could he not know any of this?_

“I request you to excuse me, Sir, but I have something I need to do.”, Merlin said, standing up on shaky legs. “Good night.”

With that, Merlin whipped around and hurried to his dorm.

He silently closed the door behind him, despite wanting to slam it shut. But his friends were sleeping, and he didn’t want to create a commotion.

Merlin didn’t know if he was feeling fear or frustration or fury as he muttered “ _Lumos_.”, and pulled out a sheet of parchment and a quill.

Fighting back tears, he wrote a letter to his mother. A letter demanding an explanation, as to why he is always the _last_ one to know. Asking her why she never told him that his father was a Dragonlord.

Asking her why she never told him _, that he was one himself._


	38. An Unexpected Announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin had been quite distracted during Charms class. But then an announcement was made, that caught his attention.

Merlin had absolutely no interest in paying attention to the class. 

He had been subdued and moody ever since he learnt that he was a Dragonlord, and no one had cared enough to tell him. 

Professor Mithian was saying something about partners and dancing, which was an unusual topic for a Charms class, but Merlin was too distracted to notice.

It had been a week since the First Task took place. _A week since Salalzar had told Merlin about his true identity._

That night, Merlin had written a letter to his mother. 

The very next day, at the crack of dawn, he had taken the letter to the Owlery to borrow a school owl that could carry the letter to Ealdor. He carefully climbed the stairs, almost slipping now and then on the snow and ice. Winter was here, and Christmas was just round the corner. 

The festive season did _nothing_ to brighten Merlin’s mood. 

However, when Merlin finally reached the cold room at the top, with recesses in the stone walls for owls to reside, he saw a sign put up at the entrance. He walked closer to read it, carefully stepping around the owl droppings on the hay covering the floor.

_“The owls are ill with an unknown sickness. Owl Service out of order for a week. Please leave your letters and packages in the box. They will be delivered after 7 days.”_

_‘Perfect!’_ , Merlin thought in annoyance. Being even more delayed from knowing the truth was _just_ what he needed. 

Sighing, he dropped his letter into the box placed below the sign.

‘I waited fourteen years.’, he thought. ‘ _Might as well wait seven more days.’_

That was one week ago. Now the Owl Service must be functioning again. Merlin wondered if his letter was being taken to his hometown at the moment. He wondered if it was already delivered. He wondered if his mother was reading it right now.

He imagined her face as she read his resentful, bitter, pathetic words. 

“Merlin.”

Merlin blinked and snapped out of his thoughts. He turned to see Arthur looking at him with concern. 

“You’re still not thinking about it, are you?”

Merlin just looked away. The Prince sighed and placed his hand on his friend's. 

“I’ve had my share of family secrets, Merlin, and I know how terrible you must be feeling.”, Arthur said. “ _But you’ve got to try and make peace with it._ Yes, you’re a Dragonlord. Yes, it’s so huge and unexpected and out of the blue. But if you think about it, _isn’t this a good thing?_ Your Dragonlord powers are soemthing you bequeathed from your father. A piece of him that’s still with you, _in_ you. I can’t exactly say the same about my late mother.”

Merlin looked at Arthur, and saw empathy and understanding in his eyes. 

_Arthur understood his pain._ Maybe more than anyone else ever could. 

“ _Thank you_.”, Merlin said quietly, meaning it.

“Emrys. Pendragon.", Professor Mithian reprimanded, eyeing the two boys sternly. “These are important instructions. Stop whispering with each other and pay attention, unless you want to make complete fools of yourselves at the ball.”

“Apologies, Professor.”, Arthur said with a lop-sided grin and a slight bow. Mithian turned her attention back to the class, shaking her head.

After making sure that she was out of earshot, Merlin turned back to Arthur, “Ball? What’s she on about?”

“Right, you weren’t listening to the class. . .”, Arthur muttered. “There is going to be a ball on Christmas day. The _Yule Ball_. Apparently, it’s a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament. A formal dance on the evening of the—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”, Merlin interrupted in a hushed voice. “A _dance??_ ”

“Yup.”

“You’re. . . You’re kidding right?”

“I wish I was.”

Merlin spluttered, his face heating up. _A dance? But that meant. ._ .

“So we should bring a partner?”, he asked. “A. . . _date_?”

“Professor Mithian made sure she didn’t use that word. . . But yeah.”, Arthur said, shrugging. “We need to bring a date.”

Merlin swallowed thickly, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“So. . .”, the Prince said tentatively, resting his elbows on the table and leaning closer. “ _Any idea who you’d be bringing?”_

Feeling his cheeks reddening, Merlin looked down, shaking his head frantically. 

"No."

_Oh, but Merlin knew all too well exactly whom he wanted to bring._

* * *

“Professor Mithian?”, Merlin asked in a small voice, after making sure the class had emptied. 

Mithian turned to him, before going back to collecting her wand and books to leave. “Yes, Emrys.”, she said distractedly.

“I was just wondering. . .”, Merlin began hesitantly. “For the ball. . . _The Yule Ball_ , I. . .” He cleared his thraot. “I was wondering if I could. . . _Um_. . .”

One look at the professor’s raised eyebrows told Merlin that her patience was thinning out.

He took a deep breath.

_“I was wondering if I could bring a boy.”_

Her eyebrows rose higher.

“As my date. I mean, as my _dancing partner!_ ", he changed hastily.

An almost imperceptible smile tugged at the Professor's lips, as her eyes darted to the door where Arthur was waiting for Merlin, leaning against the doorframe.

“I’m assuming,”, she said in a teasing tone. “ _that you already have someone in mind?”_

Merlin looked at his feet, blushing. “Maybe. . .”

This time, Mithian didn’t even bother to hide her smile.

_“I don’t see why not.”_


	39. Rejections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Yule Ball is fast approaching, and Merlin doesn't have a date yet.

It was Christmas eve. 

The Yule Ball was the next day, and Merlin had not yet asked Arthur to be his date.

It’s been a few days since the Yule Ball was announced. Merlin had been waiting eagerly for the response letter from his mother. It was supposed to be here any minute now, but it never came. Merlin visited the Owlery once every day in the evening. The sign board had been removed which meant that the owls were cured, and yet there was no reply to his letter to Hunith.

Merlin sat in the Great Hall with his friends, idly moving the food around on his dinner plate with his fork.

His head was swarming with various thoughts and questions.

He thought about the golden egg that he had retrieved in the First Task, which now sat on his bed-side table back in his dorm room. The egg held a clue which needed to be deciphered, to even _try_ completing the Second Task. Merlin had had no luck in that area so far.

He thought about his new-found Dragonlord powers. This ability definitely needed to be honed. Salazar would insist on training Merlin in improving his skills. Merlin wondered if he would have to face real dragons and tame them as part of his training. A chill skittered down his spine.

And then of course, there was the letter, about which he thought incessantly. Were there any more secrets his mother had hidden from him? Did any of those involve his father? Did Merlin have any other latent powers that are yet to be discovered? Only the letter could tell.

Despite these things constantly bugging him, the only problem that required his immediate attention was the Yule Ball. He had only a few more hours to talk to Arthur. 

Merlin looked to his left where Arthur was shoveling food into his mouth. After four years of knowing the Prince, Merlin knew that he only ate in a hurry when he was nervous, before an exam or a Quidditch match, for instance.

 _What did Arthur have to be nervous about on Christmas Eve?_ Surely it must have something to do with the Ball. . .

Merlin nudged him with his elbow. 

“Found a date yet?”, he asked, hoping against hope that the answer would be ‘ _No_ ’.

Arthur almost choked on his bread. “Nope, not yet.”, he finally said, still looking down at his plate.

Merlin hummed. “Me neither.”

Merlin was sure that several girls must have already asked Arthur to be their date. He was, after all, a Prince. A _smart, handsome, valiant Prince_.

If Arthur still didn’t have a date, it could only mean that he had turned down their proposals, already having someone in mind with whom he wanted to go to the Ball. 

A small hope lit up inside Merlin, but he put it out, knowing that he was being delusional. _Arthur couldn’t possibly want to go with him. . ._

Time passed in complete silence between the two boys, in stark contrast to the lively conversation and laughter that filled the entire hall. 

After contemplating the situation for quite some time, Merlin sighed. He didn’t want to risk ruining his friendship with Arthur. There was too much at stake here.

With a tug of pain in his chest, Merlin decided to go to the Ball _alone_. 

He was almost done eating, and so was Arthur.

“What are you planning to do after dinner?”, Merlin asked.

“A bit of reading in the library.”, Arthur said, pushing away his empty plate and drinking water from his goblet. “You?” 

“I think I’ll just retire for the night.”, Merlin said, trying not to let his sadness seep into his voice.

“Already?”, Arthur asked, eyebrows rising. 

“Yeah. Big day ahead.”

Arthur nodded, and gave an almost _doleful_ smile. “Yeah. . .”

Merlin nodded, the pain getting too unbearable. He quickly stood up, knocking over his goblet in the process.

With a whispered spell, he made the spilt water disappear and walked away in the direction of his dorm as fast as he could.

* * *

Merlin had almost reached the Slytherin Common Room, when he heard someone call his name.

He turned to see a girl with black hair and fair skin rushing to catch up with him. She sported a very simple red robe and a disarming smile. The girl looked kind and innocent, and quite younger than Merlin.

She looked beautiful, in an _ethereal_ sort of way.

“Yes?”, Merlin asked, turning to face her as she reached him.

“You’re Merlin.”, she said, eyes wide with fascination.

Merlin gave a little laugh. “I _am_ Merlin, indeed. And you are?”

“I’m Freya.”, she said, “A third-year Hufflepuff.”

“ _Freya_. . .”, Merlin muttered, wondering where he had heard that name before. “Do you happen to know Elyan? He is a third-year Hufflepuff too; my friend's brother. I think he has mentioned you.”

The girl smiled. “He’s a good friend of mine.”

Merlin returned the smile. 

They both stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. Freya shifted her weight from one foot to another and eyed him nervously. 

Merlin cleared his throat. “Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Freya. Have a great Christmas!”, he said, turning away.

_“Wait!”_

Merlin looked back at her.

“I. . .", she began hesitantly, wringing her hands. " _Oh my, this is harder than I thought._ . . I was hoping that. . . _maybe you could come with me to the Yule Ball?”_

Merlin’s smile faltered. 

“It’s— It's completely fine if you already have a date!”, Freya said, noticing his change of expression. “It’s just that. . . I’ve been admiring you for a long time now. I’ve seen how open-minded, bold, friendly and talented you are, and I just thought that, maybe if we could go to the Ball together, I could get to know you better. It would truly be a privilege.”

Merlin felt touched by her words. She seemed like a wonderful person, and the way she spoke of him showed that she thought highly of him. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to go to the Ball with her.

Merlin tried to picture it. Soft music playing in the background, as he danced with Freya. Hand in hand, gazing into each other’s eyes. Her eyes sure were beautiful, twinkling like the nightsky. Dancing and talking and laughing all evening. . . He knew he would have a great time with her.

But for some reason, and Merlin just couldn't put his finger on it, _none of that felt right._

And just like that, out of nowhere, Arthur popped into his head. He pictured himself dancing with Arthur at the Ball.

Merlin’s tummy did flips as he imagined holding Arthur’s hands in his, standing so close to him, slow dancing throughout the evening. 

He imagined Arthur smiling at him. Not his arrogant smirk or his lop-sided grin, but the sweet smile he gave Merlin when he was genuinely happy. 

When he imagined Arthur’s twinkling blue eyes, Merlin knew.

_This felt right._

_He wanted to go with Arthur._

“That sounds great,”, he told Freya, “but I’m _really_ sorry. I was on my way to ask someone else.”

Freya visibly deflated, and Merlin felt terrible for rejecting such a gem of a person. But he wanted to go with Arthur. He knew it in his heart, that he would never forgive himself if he didn’t give their relationship a chance. 

“Im really sorry.”, he repeated.

“Oh, that’s fine.”, Freya said with a small smile. “I understand.”

“I'm sure you will find a date much, _much_ better than me.”, Merlin said sincerely. If he was being honest, he was mildly surprised that someone as lovely as her had chosen to ask him, of all people.

Freya laughed soflty, shaking _her head. “There’s no one better than you, Merlin_.”

She stepped closer and gave him a peck on the cheek. _“_ Good luck. For everything _.”_

And then she walked away.

* * *

The empty halls echoed with Merlin’s footsteps as he dashed to the library.

His heart pounded, and he had a stupid grin plastered on his face.

When he reached the library, he silently slipped inside and looked around, peeping between bookshelves and searching every corner.

On the way, he came across the spot where, around three years ago, he and Arthur had had their first detention together. The first time they had bonded, felt a connection, and had a civil conversation that didn’t involve rude nicknames or shooting jinxes at each other. Merlin smiled wide at the memory. 

Merlin turned a corner and saw a flash of golden hair. He beamed and was about to call out the Prince’s name, before stopping dead in his tracks. The smile was wiped right off his face.

Arthur stood a few feet away from him, leaning against a book shelf. But he was not alone. 

He was with Vivian. And he was kissing her.

Merlin felt something snap inside him. He took a staggering step backwards as his vision blurred. 

Arthur was kissing her. He was _kissing_ her.

Merlin took another step back and stumbled into a table, knocking over a book. It landed on the floor with a loud thud in the silence of the library.

The Prince’s eyes snapped open, as if from a spell or a daydream, and found Merlin.

He immediately pushed Vivian off him. 

“Merlin. . .”, he began, but Merlin was gone.

He walked out of the room as fast as he could, tears streaming down his face. 


	40. A Temporary Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin and Arthur talk about their feelings.

_“Merlin!”_

Merlin didn’t stop. He walked as fast as he could, not wanting to embarrass himself by breaking into a run. 

Well, considering that he even _thought_ that he stood a chance with Arthur, he had already embarrassed himself quite enough.

“Merlin, wait!”

Arthur grabbed him by the arm. 

Merlin quickly wiped away his tears and turned to the Prince, drawing his lips in a thin line to stop them from wobbling pathetically.

“I can explain, Merlin.”

“You don’t have to explain anything, Arthur.”, Merlin said, not meaning a word. “So you were kissing Vivian. . . Why would you need to explain that to me?”

“Just hear me—”

“You’re allowed to kiss whomever you want. It doesn’t bother me. We’re just friends.”

Arthur sighed, searching Merlin’s eyes. _“Then why are you so upset?”_

Merlin blinked. 

Why _was_ he so upset?

Yes, he had a crush on Arthur. But seeing your secret teenage crush kissing someone else wasn’t supposed to hurt this much. _It wasn’t supposed to cut your heart into two with a blazing, white-hot knife._

“I. . .”, he said quietly, looking for an answer. “ _I don’t know. . .”_

Arthur opened his mouth, but Merlin cut him off.

“Anyway, how I feel about this doesn’t matter. You obviously like her, so good for you that you went through with it.”

“ _What in the world gave you the idea that I like her??”_ , Arthur asked incredulously, his voice rising an octave.

“Well, for starters, seeing you snog her face off in the library was my first clue!”, Merlin snapped acidly. “And secondly, it was pretty damn obvious that you were all nervous throughout dinner, probably preparing yourself to ask her out.”, Merlin swallowed, pushing down on the lump rising in his throat. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”

“Oh, I was nervous, all right.”, Arthur said, scoffing. “And I was indeed tensed about talking to _someone_.” He paused and said, “But that _someone_ , wasn’t that arrogant snob, Vivian.”

Merlin felt his temper rise rapidly. _Why was Arthur repeatedly lying to him?_ If he wanted to break his heart, why not just get it over with already? 

_“Well, who else could it possibly be?”,_ Merlin almost yelled, throwing his hands in the air.

“ _You, you idiot!_ ”, Arthur shouted.

_Silence_. 

Heavy silence, as Merlin processed the Prince’s words.

 _“Me?”_ , he asked in a tiny voice.

“You.”, came the reply.

Merlin opened and closed his mouth. Surely, he must be dreaming? _Arthur wanted to go to the ball with him?_

“But. . . why?”, he asked, brow forrowed and lips frowning. “Do you. . . _Do you like me?”_

Colour rose to Arthur’s cheeks. “I don’t know.”

Merlin raised his eyebrows. “You. . . don’t know?”

“Well, obviously, I _like_ you.", Arthur said, rolling his eyes. "You’re my best friend. But if you’re asking me if I have. . .”, he swallowed, “ _feelings_. . . for you, then I don’t know the answer.”

“Okay,”, Merlin said, trying to make some sense of this conversation. “Then. . . If you wanted to ask me, then why did you— With Vivian, what were you. . . _Why?_ ”, he finished, not wanting to say those exact words again.

“Before that,", Arthur said, "there’s something you need to know. This afternoon, Vivian stoppd me on my way to History of Magic, and asked if I would like to go to the Ball with her. I politely said that I already had someone else I wanted to go with.”

Merlin’s heart fluttered, knowing now that he was that lucky _someone_.

“She seemed to take it well, so I thought she was going to let it go. But then, a few minutes ago, when I was sitting in the library, internally berating myself for missing my last chance of asking you to the Ball, someone came in. 

“All I remember, is turning and seeing her face. Something changed that very instant. It was as if I. . . _blacked out._ I didn’t realize what was happening for the next several minutes. 

“I only came back to my senses when I heard a loud thud. I opened my eyes, and I saw you. That brought me back to Earth. Only then did I realize she was kissing me. I was so taken aback, that I pushed her off. My first kiss, and she just stole it like it meant nothing! Not knowing what to do, I came after you.”

“Wait, so. . .”, Merlin said slowly, “what exactly did she do to you? An enchantment? A love spell?”

“Merlin.”, Arthur said, shaking his head. “ _Do you still not understand?”_

“What?”

“Vivian,”, Arthur reminded him, _“is half-Veela.”_

Merlin’s eyes widened. _Oh_.

“She seduced me with her powers.”

Merlin tried to process it, but it was hard to believe that so much had happened in one night. Besides, he couldn't believe that anyone — even an arrogant girl like Vivian — would use their power to seduce someone who clearly didn't want to be involved with them.

“She seduced you. . .”, Merlin repeated. “So that means. . . You’re susceptible to her seduction. _You feel attracted to her.”_

“I. . . _Well, yes_.”, Arthur said, blushing.

“I don’t understand.”, Merlin said, eyebrows knitting together. “From the way you describe the effect she had on you, she seems to be very powerful in luring people. And yet, I’m completely immune to her _Veela_ charm. I don’t feel the slightest bit attracted. Why is that?”

“I don’t know, Merlin. . .”, Arthur said, running his hand through his golden hair. “I don’t. . .”, he began, but then pressed his lips together as if he wasn’t sure if he should say this. But then he took a deep breath, and went on.

“I don’t understand why, sometimes. . . _I feel that maybe I’m attracted to both boys and girls_. I don’t understand why I like you so much more than anyone I’ve ever known. I don’t know why I felt so damn nervous to just ask my best friend to go to a stupid Christmas party with me. It’s all too. . .”

“Confusing?”, Merlin asked.

“And complicated.”, Arthur nodded. 

Merlin thought about it. It was, indeed, confusing and complicated. Very much so. 

In the past few months, many of his friends and other students his age had started dating. They seemed to do it with such comfort and ease. As if they knew _exactly_ what they wanted. 

_But Merlin didn’t know that. He didn’t know what he wanted._

Was he into guys? Girls? _Both?_

He wasn’t sure.

 _Not yet_ , at least.

“Isn’t this supposed to be simple?”, he asked. “Dating, and. . . _romance_ and stuff. _Isn’t it supposed to be easy?”_

“Well. . . Maybe it _would_ be easy for us, too, once we understand ourselves better.”, Arthur said, shrugging. “Maybe some of us take more time than others to figure out our interests, and the kind of partner we want to be with in a relationship. For some, it may hardly take any time to realize it, and for others, it may take years. So maybe we should just wait patiently. Maybe, until we realize what we want, we should stop worrying about it and wait for things to run their course.

"Besides, we already have enough on our plates, Merlin. I’m having a hard enough time meeting my father’s high expectations, training to one day be King, studying for exams and, well, _keeping my secret._ ” He added, lowering his voice. “And you have your hands full with the Triwizard Tournament, being mentored by Master Slytherin, and now you’ve learnt that you’re a Dragonlord, to boot. 

“So perhaps, we should just worry about what we _do_ understand and have control over, instead of trying to figure out something that clearly needs more time to be understood. I mean, we’re just fourteen, for crying out loud.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. . .”, Merlin muttered. For an oblivious dollophead, Arthur could be really be wise at times. “But what about the Ball?”

Arthur hummed in thought.

“Alright, how about this?”, he asked. “You and I go to the Ball together. _But_ ,”, he gave a dramatic pause. ( _Typical Arthur. Merlin suppressed the urge to roll his eyes.)_ “But. . .”, the Prince said, “We go as friends.”

_“As friends?”_

“Yes. Just two best friends, who care a great deal about each other, going together to a ball. I mean, what could go wrong?”

_Just friends_. . .

Well, that _did_ sound simple enough. If this meant no more keeping secrets, no more jealousy, no more feeling confused about his feelings for Arthur, then this definitely was a great agreement. Spending most of his time with his best friend, with no conflicting wars going on inside his head. It brought back memories of old times, back in Merlin’s first few years at Hogwart’s before he realized he had a crush on the Prince. It sounded like a great plan.

 _Just friends,_ until they had enough clarity in their thoughts and decisions to maybe— _maybe_ — _take it a step further._

“Sounds like a plan.”, he smiled.

Arthur grinned, and Merlin felt the weight of the events of the evening lift right off his chest at the sight.

“Well, good night, then.”, Merlin said.

“’Night.”, The Prince replied. “And don’t forget to be ready. I’ll see you tomorrow evening at the Yule Ball.”

Merlin smiled, his heart already speeding up with anticipation.

_“Oh, I’ll remember.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued. . .
> 
> [ **Note:**
> 
> An announcement for my readers:  
> For at least three more months, I won't be posting more chapters, since I'm quite busy. (So I'm also turning off comments for now.) But I'll still continue writing in the meantime, so after a few months when I resume posting, I'll have finished writing the whole story (the remaining 60 or 70 chapters), so regular updates can be expected! Subscribe to be notified.]


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